The Next Cycle
by aj rain
Summary: The city had really changed over the years. Black smoke clogged my throat, assaulting my nose like the numerous dark spirits that resided here permanently. That wasn't the reason I had come, though. The reason was that I heard the Avatar was here and I needed to meet her. It was Aang's request all those years ago, and I was determined to fulfill it. *Sequel to Immortal Avatar
1. Chapter 1

_**I do not own The Legend of Korra.**_

_The city had really changed over the years. These odd boxes on wheels called Satomobiles replaced ostrich-horses for transportation. Numerous gadgets and inventions had been made to industrialize the city even more than the Fire Nation had ever been. It was beautiful and horrifying all at the same time. Black smoke clogged my throat, assaulting my nose like the numerous dark spirits that resided here permanently. Yet there was nothing I could do about that. The people here had more or less lost touch with nature, so there was no stopping the spirits. That wasn't the reason I had come, though. The reason was that I heard the Avatar was here and I needed to meet her. It was Aang's request all those years ago, and I was determined to fulfill it._

The city was in shambles! What had happened here? Not even thinking about it, I flew to Air Temple Island to see if Tenzin and his family were all right.

The sight of the island nearly caused me to fall out of the sky. Craters littered the ground. Parts of the temple were destroyed, and others were being repaired. Tears blurred my vision, forcing me to land. This wasn't how I had left it only a year and a half ago!

The moment my feet touched the ground, metal cables wrapped around my wrist and legs, causing me to face plant on the ground.

"What—?"

My vision went black as I was knocked unconscious.

Voices floated around me, none of them familiar. They must be the guards that had taken me out. Things must be really bad if Tenzin had guards now! Then another voice cut through the fog of my reawakening brain.

Mako.

The last time we had seen each other hadn't been on very good terms, so I wasn't surprised by the hostility in his voice. What surprised me was that he was telling the guards that I could be a threat and to have me chained up until I could be interrogated. It irked me a bit, but I've learned to let things like this slid off of me and just go with the flow.

Luckily, before I could be taken away, another familiar voice made its presence known, and this one was much friendlier.

"Hey! What are you doing! She's a friend! Let her go!"

Leave it to Bolin to come to the rescue.

"Mako what are you doing? Why are you letting them do this?" he asked his older brother, a little anger coloring his voice.

"We don't know if we can trust her Bo. It's better to have her restrained and interrogated," Mako responded coldly.

"She saved our lives! How can you say that?" Bo exclaimed, now furious. Bolin furious was a little scary. "Let her go now," he ordered the guards, and, shockingly, they did.

As I was laid gently on the ground, I forced my eyes open just in time to see Tenzin, Lin, and the new Avatar running over to investigate what had happened.

"Sorami!" Tenzin exclaimed, showing a rare loss of control of his emotions as he scooped me up in a hug. "What happened?" His question was aimed at the guards and two Pro-Benders.

"We didn't know who she was, so we tied her up and knocked her out," the head guard explained. "The Firebender said she couldn't be trusted, so we were about to take her to the interrogation room, but the Earthbender said she _could_ be trusted and ordered her release." Tenzin shot a hard glare at Mako.

"She is family. You are forgiven this time because you didn't know, but do not let this happen again," he said to the guard, though the warning was for Mako, who silently turned and stalked off, leaving the rest of us to stare after him, some confused, some angry, and me sad.

After the tension dissolved and I was back to my full consciousness, we all gathered in the main house to introduce me to the new additions, including the Avatar. Pema had had another baby boy, and I was instantly attached to the little Airbender child. Of course, he was too young to exhibit any Airbending powers yet, but the energy was distinct. He would be a powerful one, maybe even more powerful than Aang had been. He seemed attached to me too, for the moment he was set in my arms, he snuggled into my chest, gurgled happily, and promptly fell asleep. I smiled down at the little bundle, a little sad that I was unable to have a child of my own.

I was distracted, though, when Tenzin put a hand on my shoulder and turned me to face the new Avatar. She was from the Water Tribe, the fact evident in her purely Water Tribe attire. Her dark brown hair was done in a simple wolf tail with two more hanging in her face, framing her cerulean eyes. She was quite beautiful, but her body was toned and muscular, showing how training had hardened her.

"Sorami, this is Korra, the Avatar."

I smiled, shifted baby Rohan to one arm, and hugged her with my other. She stiffly returned my hug.

"Sorry," I apologized, realizing her discomfort and releasing her. "I've been waiting to meet the new Avatar for quite some time now."

"Korra, Sorami is technically your sister," Tenzin told her. I could tell that Korra was rarely rendered speechless, but at Tenzin's words, speech deserted her.

It took about an hour to inform everyone in the room about my immortality and connection to Korra. She took it well, quite like Aang had, though her "sisterly love" was more like a long lost friend type love. I was ok with this, though. She was only my sister though spirit, so I didn't expect to have the same relationship to her that I did with Aang.

"I guess we have some catching up to do," she said with a smile.

I returned that smile, excitement bubbling in my chest. It was like meeting Aang all over again!

"So…what was up with Mako when you first got here?" Korra and I had taken a walk to the beach to chat and get to know each other.

I sighed and began my short story on how I met the Pro-Bending brothers.

"We had met when the boys were really young. I was wandering around getting used to the feel of the city when I came across two orphans shivering in a back alley. Bolin was terribly ill, which wasn't made any better by the extreme thinness of the two. Mako was trying his best to help his brother get better, but I knew it wouldn't happen if they didn't get off the street, so I healed him and began to put things in motion so they would get into Pro-Bending and off the streets.

They didn't see much of me for several years, but Mako and I ran into each other one night as he was walking home from work, a bundle of medicine in his arms. I told him that I was a healer and that I could help with whatever illness he had. As we walked, we got to know each other…or he got to know me more like it. I already knew about him since I've been keeping tabs on them whenever I visited the city.

I soon learned that Bolin was sick again, but this time it was worse. I found out when I got there that a dark spirit had latched onto him and was slowly killing him. I got rid of the spirit and helped nurse him back to health again. During this time, Mako and I grew very close. He said I reminded him of someone who helped them back when they were little, which was me, though he didn't know it. Eventually, he developed romantic feelings for me, and that's when I knew I had to leave. See, I try to avoid romantic relationships because I can't have children, not to mention he was young and still had his entire life ahead of him.

So I left. I never _really_ left, of course, but I made sure that he never saw me. I kept making sure that his rent stayed paid and that he had a job. I even helped pay for his Pro-Bending fees. I knew he was distraught from my leaving, but it was for the best. The last I saw him, he was doing well with Pro-Bending and was content, if not happy. That was a year and a half ago. Now I come back and the city is in shambles!"

Korra's face darkened at the end of my story. "That was Amon's doing."

I never heard that name before, but as she told the story, I felt my face fall into a matching glare. This Amon character was psychotic! The really awful part was I was there when Aang took care of his father, Yakone. That was horrible enough, but this was beyond anything that Yakone had ever done! Taking away people's bending without being the Avatar? That's pure evil!

"Luckily I can reverse his damage," Korra told me, making me relax a little.

"As can I. You won't have to do this alone," I said with a small smile, though I knew my eyes were still dark.

She smiled back. "Thanks. I'm slowly learning how to accept help, so your offer sounds pretty good right about now," she responded.

A few days went by. Things settled in nicely. I helped Pema entertain the kids so she could have a break now and then. I also helped Tenzin train Korra. I made friends with Asami, caught up with Bolin, and chatted with Lin. It was like having a family again.

When Korra needed to go to the city to begin returning bending to the hundreds of people Amon stole it from, I went with her to help, though she insisted that I only help giver her energy so she wouldn't pass out from exhaustion. I was happy to comply.

Near the end of the session, one particularly downtrodden man knelt in front of her.

"Well well Tahno. Never thought you'd kneel just for me," she teased, the tiredness evident in her voice.

"Very funny Uh-vatar," the man retorted half-heartedly.

Korra's features softened. "Are you ready to bend again?"

His eyes gave her his response. She positioned her hands and channeled her energy into him, her eyes glowing in the process. As she channeled her energy, I gave her some of mine, sensing how low hers had dipped. When her eyes faded to normal, she swayed slightly.

"Go on," she invited the young man, who was skeptical. Yet his skepticism turned to unabashed joy when the water followed his commands. He didn't even think twice when he threw his arms around the unsteady Korra, thanking her profusely.

"You're welcome," she replied with an exhausted smile. He released her and walked off, practically glowing with joy.

When he was gone, I went over to Korra and grabbed her arm, providing her with something to lean on.

"You've done well today, but you're probably going to sleep all through tomorrow," I told her as I helped her walk down the stairs.

"I don't care. I've made a lot of people whole again today, and when I get my energy back, I'll do it again. I don't care how long it'll take. Everyone's gonna get their bending back, no matter what," she said with tired determination.

I chuckled softly, pulling one of her arms around my shoulder so she had more support. She leaned into me gratefully.

The moment she was safely atop Naga, her polar bear-dog, she was asleep, making me smile. She was nothing like Aang, but I was still glad I met her.

**At long last the first chapter of the next installment of Immortal Avatar is up! I plan for this story to be just as long as the other, but the chapters will be longer (around 2,000 words or so instead of a few hundred). I hope you all enjoy this story as much as you did the other!**


	2. Chapter 2

The sun warmed my face, signaling another day. Five weeks had passed. Everyone had their bending back and Korra was back to training. Mako still hadn't spoken to me, but Bolin was as enthusiastic as ever, constantly bugging me to tell him stories of my past or teach him some Earthbending move. Eventually I questioned whether or not he had asked Lin to teach him Metalbending. He paled at the thought, so I laughed and called her over.

"Bolin's interested in learning on how to Metalbend. You up to the task Lin?" I asked playfully. Lin quirked her lips in a smirk.

"When have I ever backed down from a challenge?" she responded, a glint in her eyes.

"Have at it!" I invited, leaving a very scared looking Bolin in Lin's hands.

Now that I had a moment of quiet, I decided to roam the island and just relax. It's been a while since I had a moment all to myself without someone needing to be healed or some bothersome dark spirit attacking. It was nice to just walk.

And then I heard it. That one voice that I really didn't feel like hearing: Mako. And he was calling my name. What could he want? I paused and steeled myself, keeping my breathing deep and even as he caught up to me.

"Yes, Mako, what is it?" I asked, trying to be pleasant despite how he had been acting.

"I want you to stay away from Korra and Bolin," he ordered instantly.

Out of sheer will power, I didn't hit him.

"Mako, just because you believe I abandoned you—which I didn't by the way—doesn't mean that Bolin does, and Korra is the reincarnation of my brother. I'm not going to stay away from her no matter what you say. And don't you think Bolin is old enough to make his own choices by now?" I tried to keep the flame out of my voice, but a little heat still escaped.

Mako glared at me.

"I don't care if you're Korra's mother! You stay away from her! As for Bolin, it's my job to protect him. I don't want someone like you to be near him," he spat back. I narrowed my eyes slightly.

"Careful Mako," I warned. "I don't want to have to make a scene."

He scoffed. "Do you honestly think I care what you do? You can blow up the entire island for all I care! Just stay away from Korra and Bolin."

He turned to walk away, but stopped dead with one word from me: "No."

Flames danced on his knuckles.

I sighed, trying to cool down a bit. "Mako, I really don't understand why you hate me, but it seems like you're the only one. Tenzin and his family, Lin, Korra, Bolin. They all like me. Love even. All I've done to you is help, so why do you hate me so?"

"Because you abandoned us!" he roared, flames licking from his lips. His fire frustrated me, but the genuine tears in his eyes softened me.

"I never abandoned you Mako. I was always there," I began, my voice gentle; he cut me off.

"Save it. You left us, and that's that. There's nothing you can say that can change that."

He was hurt.

"You don't have to listen, then. Just let me speak," I tried. He crossed his arms, seeming to accept my terms. I relaxed a little and took a breath to begin my story, only to be interrupted by a new voice. Korra was running toward us, her face drawn in a slight glare.

"What're you two talking about?" she inquired, giving Mako a warning/accusing look.

"Nothing," he grumbled stomping off.

I sighed and closed my eyes, though I still felt Korra's questioning ones on me.

"I was trying to explain why I left," I told her dejectedly.

She muttered something under her breath before I was suddenly pulled into a hug. I liked her hug. It was warm, strong, protective. It was nice.

"Don't worry. I'll try talking to him. He's just being a Jerkbender right now," she reassured me. I snorted, only really hearing the "Jerkbender" bit. "How about you come watch my Airbending training? Maybe you can give me some pointers," she suggested, obviously trying to distract me; it worked.

"Sure. I've had plenty of time to learn," I responded, forcing my mood to lighten and pushing Mako from my mind. There was plenty of time for me to argue with him anyway. Today I was going to spend time with Korra.

Watching Korra go through her training brought back so many memories. I remember playing with Aang, riding Air scooters, racing on our gliders, creating mayhem for unsuspecting passers-by. Then there was when Tenzin was young and just learning. He wasn't as much of a mischief maker, but he was still a fun child. Most recently was his children. They held all the grace as their grandfather before them.

A breeze slowly drew me out of my reminiscing and back into watching Korra flit around daintily, the air around her following her will. It looked a little forced, though.

"Hang on. Sorry to interrupt, but I've noticed something." I walked over to where Korra stood, her cheeks lightly flushed. "You've probably heard this a thousand times from Tenzin, but Air isn't like the other elements. You can't force it like you can with Fire or Earth. If anything, it's like Water: fluid. You have to flow with it, dance with it. You have to be free in order to will it to your desire."

"Be the leaf!" Meelo chimed in.

Korra blew a stray strand of hair out of her face, obviously frustrated.

"I know I know! I just can't seem to get it right!" she vented.

"Now don't get upset. Aang had a ton of trouble with Earth, almost to the point where he gave up completely, and after he hurt Katara, he refused to learn Fire until he met the true masters, who then showed him Fire isn't just destructive. I promise, Korra, you're not the only Avatar who has had trouble learning an element."

She huffed slightly, crossing her arms. "But the others came so easily! Why isn't this one?"

"You've been in a compound most of your life, right?"

Korra nodded.

"You've lacked freedom for a long time. You've gotten a taste being here, but you're still not truly allowing yourself to be free."

"How am I not allowing myself to be free?" she exclaimed throwing up her hands.

"That I don't know. You'll have to figure that out yourself. In the meantime, how about you try dancing as you Airbend? I'll dance with you if you like."

She looked skeptical, but accepted my offer anyway. What resulted was something neither of us expected.

As we danced, I lost myself in the gentle touch of my native element, almost completely forgetting that there were others around me watching. All I was aware of was the absolute freedom that Airbending brought me.

I was floating, dancing in the air now. Spinning, twirling, laughing. I was _free_! A soft white glow surrounded me, but it wasn't just mine. I opened my eyes then to see Korra beside me, her eyes glowing like my own. She smiled at me and came closer, circling around me. Joy overcame me and I responded. Together we danced.

It must have been hours before the two of us finally touched solid ground again, and the moment we did, we collapsed in each other's arms exhausted.

"I believe we are done for the day. You did extremely well Korra," Tenzin announced, his voice holding awe and pride. Before leaving us to recuperate, he knelt next to us and whispered, "And thank you Sorami. You've helped her more than I ever could." With that final word, he was gone.

Not a minute later, the two of us had fallen asleep.

Something soft brushed against my face, rousing me from my stupor. With a groan, I stretched luxuriously and sat up, my sight immediately being whited out by fur.

"What the?"

A large tongue dragged across my face, making me sputter and laugh.

"Naga! What are you doing?" I giggled pushing her off. "You interrupted my nap."

She woofed, her tail thumping happily.

"Why aren't you bugging Korra?"

She woofed again, standing and spinning in a circle this time. I looked around, just realizing that I was alone.

"Where _is_ Korra?"

Naga nudged me, urging me to my feet.

"Take me to her girl," I said climbing onto her back.

She didn't hesitate in obeying my request, taking off at a steady lope to the other side of the island.

"You can't keep me from talking to her Mako! Not only is she my friend, but she's my sister by spirit! You have no right to try to keep me from her!"

I heard her before I saw her, and she was _not_ happy. Evidently Mako was giving her a similar talk that he had given me earlier, and she wasn't nearly as calm as I had been.

"She's no good Korra! She's just going to hurt you like she hurt me, and I'm trying to keep that from happening!" Mako shouted back at her.

"Oh my spirits Mako! She didn't abandon you! Why won't you just let her explain and stop being such a child!"

"I'm not being a child! I'm being rational! And what do you know about any of this? You weren't there." His voice was bitter and colder than ice.

"She told me. Bolin also told me. She did nothing but help you two, and what do you do in return? You nearly have her locked up, yell at her, threaten her, and try to make her miserable. I don't know how she can deal with it and still act civilly toward you!"

"Because I know how hurt he is. This isn't the first time he's lost someone he's loved," I said finally revealing myself.

The two spun at my voice, one glaring out of general anger, the other aiming a death glare at me. I met the death glare head-on.

"Don't try to get her on your side. Tell her the truth. Tell her how you just disappeared without any notice, any reason. Tell her how you just left us," Mako demanded.

"I already told her everything, but I don't mind repeating myself. Maybe this time you'll decide to listen," I responded, never breaking eye contact.

"You don't know this, but we met when you and Bolin were very young. Freshly orphaned if I'm not mistaken. I found you when Bolin was sick. Do you remember that Mako? That kind woman with the cloak that hid her eyes? The one that reminded you of your mother? That was me. After I had healed Bolin, I knew that you two needed to get off the streets, so I began to set things in motion for you to become involved in Pro-Bending. I made a deal with Toza for you to live in the attic of the arena. I made those first payments. I funded a lot of your beginning matches. I even helped get you that job at the power plant!

Years later, we bumped into each other once more. Bolin was sick again. You said I had reminded you of some kind woman that had helped you years ago, but she had been older. I returned with you to the loft and healed Bolin. We all became friends. You and I became really close. At some point, you fell in love with me. That's why I left Mako. I can't give you children. I can't give you a family. I can't give you much of anything, really, and you were still young. Still _are_ young. I didn't want you to set your sights on me when there are better matches out there. Korra is one of the best. You're happier with her, and will be happier with her than you ever would have been with me.

And when I left, I was never truly gone. I was constantly checking up on you and Bolin to make sure that everything was all right. I continued to help pay for the loft and your Pro-Bending. I continued introducing you to people you could benefit from. I continued to protect you. There were several occasions where I scared off Triads that wanted to hurt or kill you. You remember that one night you were cornered by five thugs? Do you remember that shadow that seemed to come out of nowhere to defeat them and chase them away? That was me. So no, Mako, I didn't abandon you. I left you so you could find a happier future with someone who could give you more than I could. Is that really a reason to hate me? If it is, then I'll make sure to bury myself in a cave so no one can hate me for helping them ever again."

Korra was glaring expectantly at Mako, who was now staring blankly at me. There was still anger and hurt in his eyes, but there was a tiny spark of understanding there too, and that gave me hope.

"I really am sorry I hurt you, but it was for the best."

His eyes narrowed slightly, steeling over. There goes the hope.

"Yes. You hurt me. I _loved_ you Sorami. The least you could have done was say goodbye."

"That would have been more painful. Trust me. I've done it." Mako's golden eyes reminded me so much of Zuko's at that moment that it physically hurt.

"There had to have been a better way," he insisted, making it clear that he wasn't going to forgive me. I sighed in defeat, finally breaking eye contact and looking down.

"Fine Mako. Hate me. If I didn't change your mind now, I never will be able to." My gaze snapped up, now hard. "But don't try to keep me from Korra or your brother. They don't hate me, and you have no right to decide who they associate with. If you try to keep me from them, then rest assured that I will become very unpleasant to live with, and trust me, you do _not_ want to live with a grumpy immortal Avatar."

I shifted my gaze to Korra now, making sure to soften my eyes. "Be patient with him. It takes time to heal. Hopefully he'll learn to forgive before it becomes detrimental."

She gave a small tense nod, coaxing the tiniest of smiles from me. She will become a great Avatar as she grows.

**This book will be a bit different from the first (obviously). Like the actual series, it's going to be a little more mature and a little more focused on relationships. There's going to be a main battle still, but probably not what you're expecting. That's all I can say without giving things away. Feel free to leave reviews and let me know what you think! I always appreciate your comments! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be. Mako and Korra seemed to have calmed down, the former evidently accepting my presence, though he continued to ignore it. That was better than him yelling at me I suppose. Thankfully, his quiet brooding didn't affect the rest of the family. Tenzin went on and on about Korra's recent success in Airbending and how proud he was of her. This must have been the first time I saw Korra blush.

"It wasn't all me," she mumbled, her eyes focusing on her food. "Sorami helped a lot."

"Oh come now Korra. Don't undermine yourself. This was a huge step forward in your Airbending training. You deserve the praise," I said with a smile. Her cheeks reddened further.

"She's right Korra," Tenzin added.

Finally Korra smiled, though she was still focusing on her food. "Thanks," she mumbled, obviously happy.

"Why aren't you eating pretty lady?" Meelo's inquisitive voice paused the conversation, drawing everyone's attention to Asami, who was very pale, if not green.

"Just not hungry, that's all," she replied, trying to fake her way through; it didn't work.

"Mommy's cooking is very good! You have to eat it all to grow up strong!" Meelo insisted, holding a forkful under her nose. She greened further, prompting me to gently pull Meelo back.

"Are you sure you're all right Asami?" Pema asked, motherly concern in her voice.

"I'm fine," the girl in question repeated.

That conversation was dropped for about five minutes. Then Asami jumped up and bolted out of the room. Pema moved to follow her, but since she was holding baby Rohan, I told her I'd go after the ill girl. She nodded gratefully, settling back in her chair while I stood.

"Tenzin, why don't you tell the others how Korra was finally able to get Airbending down?" I suggested before walking away.

Asami was leaning limply against the toilet when I found her, soft moans escaping her dry lips.

"Oh sweetie," I murmured kneeling next to her. "If you didn't feel well, you should have told someone." I gently pulled back her ebony hair, smoothing it back from her clammy forehead.

"I was hoping it wasn't true. I was hoping that if I ignored it, it wouldn't happen," she mumbled weakly.

"Hoping what wasn't true?" I asked, pulling her back so she was lying against me.

She looked up at me with fearful, tear filled green eyes. "I think I'm pregnant."

"How long have you suspected this?" I asked, keeping calm as to not upset her any more.

"I've missed my cycle twice now and I've been sick for about two weeks," she replied miserably.

"All right. It's ok. Don't worry. There are many people here that will help and support you," I cooed, continuing to run my fingers through her hair. "Now, do you know who the father is?" She bit her lip, the tears spilling over.

"Mako."

Well that was a surprise. How do I respond to that?

"Oh Sorami! What do I do?" the distraught girl sobbed, burying her face against my chest.

"Shh shh. First you calm down," I said soothingly. "Take deep breaths and relax."

She did as she was told, her heart rate soon returning to normal.

"Good. Now I'm going to give you a check-up to see if the baby is healthy and how far along you are." I drew some water from the air and coated my hand. "Lift your shirt please." She did, and I pressed my glowing hand against her stomach. "You are definitely pregnant," I affirmed. "The baby is healthy. Everything is going as planned. You are about a month and a half along." This seemed to calm her a little more, though her shoulders remained tense.

"What do I do about Mako?" she asked in a small voice.

"That's up to you. Telling him is your decision," I responded. "Just remember that whatever you decide, you will still be supported."

She settled back against me, the tension melting. "Thank you Sorami. For everything."

Asami had just dozed off when a light knock sounded.

"Come in," I called softly. The door opened, revealing a concerned Pema.

"How is she?" she asked. I sighed.

"You might want to sit down."

With Pema informed, she began to arrange everything that Asami would need throughout her pregnancy. Tenzin was informed of the situation so he wasn't in the dark. Asami was moved closer to the bathroom. I took her old room. The children were instructed to not bother her. As far as the others knew, she was just sick. If she chose to reveal her current situation to them, she would, but she was still getting used to the fact herself, so it would be a little while before it happened. Whether she revealed the father or not, I knew that things were about to get very stressful very soon.

About a week had passed since Asami had revealed her pregnancy to me, and she had decided to begin telling the others, the first being Mako.

"Please be with me," she begged me.

"Of course! I told you I'd support you. Helping you tell the others counts as supporting," I responded with an encouraging smile. She tensely returned my smile and grabbed my hand. "Come on. Let's go find Mako."

It took a while, but eventually we located him practicing Firebending on the beach. I felt Asami's heart rate increase and gently squeezed her hand, reminding her that I was there beside her.

"It'll be all right," I promised. Her grip tightened.

"I want to tell him _all_ of it," she informed me.

"And whether he accepts it or not doesn't matter. You still have the rest of us."

She pursed her lips.

"Asami."

She looked at me, clearly distressed. I wrapped her in a hug.

"Just relax. Everything's going to be all right," I whispered.

She nodded and took a deep breath. "Let's get this over with."

"You're…_pregnant_?" Mako stuttered for the third time.

At this point Asami was beginning to get tired of hearing the same sentence, so she moved on to the next bit. "Yes Mako, I'm pregnant. And you're the father."

That practically floored him.

"W…wha…are you sure?"

"Yes." Her voice had dropped to a soft whisper.

Mako blinked a few times, completely lost looking. "I…I'm going to be a father."

"Yes."

He seemed to be searching for something to hold on to, but failed. After several long moments of awkward silence, he seemed to remember how to stand, and with this re-found ability, he also seemed to re-discover words. "I promise Asami, I'll be there for our child, whatever it takes," he vowed.

My stomach sank. I could already foresee where this was going. Asami, however, did not.

"Thank you Mako. It's good to know my child will have a father," she said, relief showing in her voice. He smiled, took her hand, and planted a light kiss on the back of it.

"Everything will be all right," he promised.

What would it take for his statement to be true though?

After that first revelation to Mako, Asami decided to let him spread the word. Little did she know what this would end up causing. I, however, was there when it happened. Or…rather, I was passing by when I heard Mako talking to Korra and he brought it up. It had been three days now. She was just as shocked as he had been, but when he told her he was the father, she became completely silent.

"I'm not going to leave them alone. I have to be there for my child," he started. Korra remained silent. Mako took a deep breath. "I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"So you're going to marry someone you don't love just because she's having your child?" Korra finally asked, a challenge in her voice.

"Yes. I'm not going to abandon them. I know what that feels like, and I'm not going to be responsible for another child without a father," he responded, his voice letting her know that he had made up his mind.

"Fine. I wish the both of you well," was all Korra said. Then she seemingly walked away calmly. The second she was sure she was out of sight, though, she sprinted to the nearest cliff and dove off. I followed soon after to make sure that she didn't do anything too stupid.

She went straight to the arena, not even bothering to change before beginning to put all of her pain, anger, and sorrow into obliterating anything in her path short of leveling the whole building. Fire, Water, and Earth flew. Dust floated heavily in the air. All I did was watch from the shadows.

By the time she had exhausted herself, there was another set of eyes on her.

"Well well. Fancy seeing the Uh-vatar here," the Waterbender called Tahno drawled stepping out from his hiding place.

"Tahno. Now is not the time," Korra warned.

"What. Is everything not moon peachy in Airbender Land?" the lanky boy taunted.

"Seriously Tahno. I'm not in the mood," Korra growled.

"I can see that." His persona shifted completely. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Korra was just as whiplashed as I was by his sudden change, but she got over it quickly, for she began to tell him everything that had just happened.

"He never was good enough for you," Tahno said, attempting to make her feel better. The anger was clear in his voice.

"This is the second time he's dumped me for her. What's wrong with me?" Korra asked miserably.

"Nothing," Tahno responded instantly, hooking a comforting arm over her shoulder. "You're the Avatar. You're strong, beautiful, loyal. You're perfect."

Again, Korra was taken aback. Then, to my relief, her cocky smirk returned.

"Who knew the slick Wolfbat captain had a soft side?" she said bumping her hip against his.

Tahno gave a short laugh, using his free hand to flip his hair. "Don't let this get out, or I'll have to wipe the floor with you at the championships again."

Korra glowered. "That's because you cheated!"

"And believe it or not, I've learned from it. I guarantee the next match we have will be fair."

Korra's smirk softened. "Thank you Tahno. I didn't think it was possible for me to feel better so fast, but somehow you managed it."

"Any time Uh-vatar."

As they were talking, I noticed something about Tahno. He looked oddly thin. Thinner than the first time I saw him as a matter of fact. His hair seemed greasy, not styled. He looked paler, and dark circles were under his eyes, though in the dim light of the arena it wasn't as noticeable. Just then it struck me. He was one of the people who literally gave up _everything_ to try to get his bending back.

Tahno was homeless.

"Why don't you come back to Air Temple Island with us?" I asked stepping out of the shadow I was in. The two Pro-Benders jumped, not expecting me to be there.

"How long have you been here?" Korra asked a little breathlessly.

"I followed you to make sure you didn't do anything rash," I replied, trying to stick to the topic. "Come with us. You can have a home there."

Korra was confused, but Tahno knew exactly what I was referring to.

"I don't know if I'd be welcome after all the horrible things I've done to these guys," he said.

"Of course you'd be welcome!" Korra jumped in, though she still didn't know exactly what was going on.

Tahno still looked unsure, so I decided to be blunt. "Tahno, it's better than living on the street."

Korra's eyes widened. "You're living on the street?"

Tahno sighed. "Yes. I gave away everything trying to get my bending back. Look how much good _that's_ done me."

"You _have_ to come to the island now. I insist," Korra declared.

Tahno smirked. "All right. Since the Uh-vatar insists, I'll come live on the island." Being a little more sincere, he added, "Thank you Korra. And you too…"

"Sorami," I introduced myself. He'd get the whole story about me from Korra later.

Things began to calm down finally. Tahno had been accepted into the group and had settled in nicely. Everyone knew about Asami being pregnant. They were aware that Mako had broken up with Korra to help Asami with the baby, though they didn't know the exact reason. Bolin was upset with his brother for hurting Korra that way, but at the same time understood his decision. In the end, all became friends again (except me and Mako of course).

**I have a bit of a soft spot for Tahno, so I kinda had no choice but to bring him in. Unfortunately his role isn't particularly large in this book, but if my plans for the third installment work the way I want them to, he's going to become much more prominent in Sorami's life. As for Mako...I'm not sure what I'll do with him yet. I don't want to keep him as a douchebag, but I don't really know where I want him to stand in her life just yet. Guess we'll see as the story goes on! Wow this is long. Sorry 'bout that. I'll stop now. Until next chapter! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm sorry Tenzin! I can't help that I have good and bad days with Airbending!"

I sat up, hearing the shout all the way from the beach. That can't be good, so I got up and went to see what the fuss was about. What I found was a literally steaming Korra and a red-faced Tenzin staring each other down.

"What's going on?" I asked gently pushing the two apart.

"Korra's slacking off with her training," Tenzin huffed.

"Am not! I'm just having an off day! You can't say you've never had one of those!" Korra shot back lividly.

"All right. Yelling won't solve anything. Now everyone take a few deep breaths," I instructed. When they didn't comply, I narrowed my eyes. "Do it."

Tenzin listened, the redness fading after about three. Korra, however, continued to glare, steam still rising from her skin. I took her face between my hands, locking our eyes.

"Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out."

In this position, it didn't take long for her to calm down, her body heat returning to normal.

"Good. Now that nothing has the risk of catching on fire, how about we talk about what's going on. Let's start with Korra since it seems that she's the one having trouble."

"Tenzin thinks I'm slacking off, but I'm doing the best I can. Airbending is still hard for me and he doesn't seem to get that. It's like he holds me to the same standard as a natural born Airbender, and I'm not! Aang might have been my past life, but he's not me!"

"You're completely right. You aren't Aang. You are Korra. You just have the Avatar spirit, and that grants you the ability of bending all of the elements. That doesn't make you into any of your past incarnations. If it did, you'd be a master, though you'd have multiple personality disorder and be bipolar." She smirked at the last bit. "So Tenzin, do you still think that she's slacking off?" I inquired, looking at my nephew.

"Not completely, but I don't understand how she could do so well one day with you, and then barely be able to Airbend today," he responded. It clicked for me then.

"Korra, have you told Tenzin anything?" I asked, knowing she would understand. She shook her head. "You might want to. He might be a bit of a stick in the mud sometimes—" he shot me a look here "—but he's still one of the most understanding and unbiased listeners I've ever met."

Korra gnawed her lower lip, uncertainty shining in her eyes.

"You can talk to me Korra. Now that I know something is bothering you, I understand why you are having trouble. Communication is a big part of training. It lets me know what you need help with or why you're having trouble with something. I apologize for losing my temper earlier," Tenzin said with a little bow of the head.

"It's fine Tenzin, and it's not that I don't trust you. I just don't want you to do anything to him," Korra replied with a smile.

"Who?"

"Mako."

"You should probably sit down," I mentioned.

...

"He _what_?"

"Calm down Tenzin! You're going to hurt yourself!" Korra exclaimed grabbing his arm.

He took a breath, then said, "All right. Go on."

"He told me that he didn't want his child to be without a father, and he thinks that marrying Asami will ensure this. I understand the father part, but I don't understand why he went and picked her over me again. It's almost like he planned this all along."

Ah. So that's what's been on Korra's mind.

"His intentions might be good, but the way he is executing them is wrong. He is still young and doesn't know better. You deserve more Korra, and if he left you for Asami, then take it as a sign that there is someone better out there for you, waiting. Don't overthink this," Tenzin said gently, though his voice implied that he wouldn't mind blowing Mako off a cliff at the moment.

Korra allowed a small smile. "Thanks Tenzin."

I stretched and sighed, pushing myself to my feet. "Now that we've had our heart-to-heart, how about you try Airbending again Korra? I have a feeling that you'll do better than you were before," I suggested. She nodded.

Her Airbending had improved after our talk, though not by a whole lot. At least it was something.

"All right Korra. That's enough for today," Tenzin finally said. She bowed to her master and followed me back to the main house.

"Don't worry. You'll be all right," I assured her. "It stops hurting eventually."

"When?" she asked with a sigh.

"For me it took a long time because I was alone, but because you have friends, sooner than you think," I replied threading my fingers through hers. She gave my hand a squeeze. I decided to change the subject. "So what do you want to do now?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but another voice beat her to it. "Why don't we go out tonight?"

We turned to find Tahno leaning against a nearby tree.

"Where?" Korra asked.

Tahno smirked. "You'll just have to wait and see Uh-vatar." She cocked an eyebrow. "What? Is the all-powerful Uh-vatar scared?" he taunted, getting the exact response he was looking for.

"Oh please. I can handle anything!" Korra scoffed.

"Great! Meet me at the pier in about three hours. And put on something a little more…_fitted_." And with that, he sauntered off to get ready for whatever he just planned for us.

Korra glanced at me. "Fitted? What does he mean by that?"

I had to laugh.

After a bit of a rant on how perverse Tahno was, Korra plucked one of her nicer tank tops that hugged closer to her body and a pair of slightly less baggy pants.

"This is all he's getting," she huffed tugging the fabric into place. I laughed again.

"You're obviously not interested in him I see."

"Spirits no!" she exclaimed wrinkling her nose. I snickered some more.

"I'm going to go change too. See you in a few minutes," I said walking out of her room. "Oh! Why don't you see if Bolin wants to tag along?"

"Great idea!" Korra called after me. That way she wouldn't be courted too much by the over-zealous Tahno.

In the end I decided on a similar outfit to Korra, though my pants were a little more form fitting. Studying myself in the mirror, I decided that, for once, I wanted to show off my silver eyes, so I grabbed a violet ribbon and tied my ebony hair back. That'll do. Since there was still time, I decided to check on Asami before we left. She hadn't been feeling well earlier.

"Asami? Can I come in?" I called softly as I rapped on her door.

"You can come in," was her reply. I cracked the door open and slipped through, closing it behind me.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, walking over and sitting on the bed beside her.

"Better," she replied sitting up and stretching. Her stomach was beginning to poke out slightly now, making me smile softly.

"You know, I've helped a lot of women give birth, but this is the first time I've been able to see the beginning stages of pregnancy. It's quite touching," I mentioned.

"Yeah. Touching. Don't forget nauseating and annoying," she grumbled in response.

"I wonder…" I drew some water from the air and began to run it over her stomach. "Maybe I can help ease some of your symptoms. I'm not sure, seeing that I've never really had this chance, but it's worth a shot."

Whatever I was doing seemed to be working, for she sighed contently and laid back again, closing her eyes. "That feels good."

"Then it must be working…though I have no clue what I'm doing," I replied.

"Well whatever it is, don't stop," Asami mumbled.

"No problem."

At some point Asami fell back asleep, enabling me to slip out quietly to go meet Korra and Tahno at the pier. As it turned out, I was right in time and Korra had convinced Bolin to come with.

"So where are we going again?" I asked the slick Wolfbat. All he did was smirk.

It was a club. It wasn't the worst club out there, but it was still pretty raw. There was a sea of writhing bodies on the dance floor, the smell of sweat and perfume saturating the air along with alcohol. Korra and Bolin's eyes flew wide.

"We can't be in here!" Bolin squealed, his eyes darting around frantically as he took in the scene before him.

"Aww, is the little Fire Ferret scared?" Tahno taunted, instantly earning a glare from both of them. "C'mon. It'll be fine," he assured nudging the two forward.

I didn't even hesitate in going to the bar to grab something sweet. "See? Sorami has the right idea!" I heard Tahno say above the music. I smirked and sipped the drink now in front of me. No alcohol. Good. Korra stiffly sat beside me, her eyes still wide and flicking back and forth.

"I thought you'd like this sort of thing. Wild and free," I mentioned elbowing her in the side.

She shifted uncomfortably, her expression less than pleased. "I didn't expect he'd take us to a club. Tenzin's gonna kill me if he ever finds out!"

"Who says he has to find out?" I challenged deviously. That brought out her usual smirk.

"Hard to believe you're related to him," she responded stealing a sip of my drink.

"After a couple centuries you learn to just go with the flow. He's a little bit of a stickler, so I don't see any reason to get his cloak ruffled with telling him what we do," I explained.

Just then Tahno came over and ordered a round of drinks, these with alcohol in them. He downed his instantly, causing Bolin to do the same as to not look bad. Korra hesitated a split second before copying their action, the alcohol taking her slightly off guard at first. Once she got used to the feeling, though, she asked for another. I had a feeling that this would get very interesting very quickly.

After about four more drinks each, Bolin was seducing girls and Tahno and Korra were dancing. From where I was sitting, I could monitor all of them to make sure that none got into trouble, as well as have a clear view of the exit in case I had to get us out of there fast. You can never be too careful in the city.

I glanced over at Bolin, smirking as he lolled his head onto a busty blonde's shoulder, a goofy grin on his face as he slurred some sort of compliment. The blonde giggled, blushing. Evidently there was no need to be sober to be a charmer in his case.

I looked back at Korra and Tahno, only to find that Tahno had been dragged into a sloppy make-out session with some random chick, leaving Korra alone and slightly lost looking. Sympathy tugged at my heart, so I went to keep her company, unfortunately slightly blocking my sight of Bolin in the process.

I came up behind Korra and lightly placed my hands on her hips, swaying to the music with her. She jumped a little, but when she realized that it was me, she relaxed, her body perfectly conforming to mine.

"You know, you never really seemed like a sister to me," she mentioned as we danced, her words only slightly slurred.

"Is that so?" I asked, a tad disappointed. I was hoping to eventually have that sibling bond again.

"No. You're more like a really close friend. It's strange, though. I feel different around you than I do with Tahno or Bolin or even Mako back when we were dating. I feel drawn to you."

I'm pretty sure she was just thinking aloud now, but I answered anyway. "Well I'm technically connected to you through Aang since he was my brother."

"No, it's not that. It's like…I don't know! It's like how I _should_ have felt with Mako, but I never did," she tried to explain, becoming slightly frustrated when words eluded her.

"Like…you _love me_?" I provided, the thought just dawning on me.

"Kinda. I guess so if that's what you want to call it. I want to be with you," she said, turning in my grip so she was face to face with me.

"Are you sure it's not the alcohol talking?" I asked, wanting to be completely sure before allowing myself to really think about this.

"No, I'm being serious," she stated, her eyes proving this despite the minor glaze that the alcohol left.

"Have you ever felt this way for a girl before?" I asked, showing her that I wasn't put off by her confession.

She shook her head. "I've never felt like _this_ before."

I pursed my lips, thinking how to put this so she'd be able to make absolutely sure she felt this way before jumping in head first. Korra had other ideas, though, and before I could react, her lips caught mine in a tender kiss, sufficiently erasing any previous thought from my mind.

I'm not going to lie. I've been with females before, and I found it to be pleasurable, but when Korra kissed me, their affection seemed like a fading cinder compared to the sun. Her kiss brought something to life that I hadn't felt in years, and it ended all too quickly. I opened my eyes as her lips retreated, gazing into her endless cerulean blue irises. Those beautiful eyes reflected a future that promised love, happiness, and…and… I sighed, leaning my forehead against hers. It would never work. She was the Avatar. She had a duty to the world. How could this ever work? Her soft lips pressed against my temple. A promise. I looked up at her again, searching for something now, though I didn't know what. Her smile seemed to assure me that everything would be all right, so I would just have to believe it for now.

Eventually I decided, as the only sober one left in the group, that it was time to go back to the island.

"Come on Korra. It's time to go," I said, raising my voice to be heard over the music.

"Do we have to?" she slurred wrapping her arms around my waist.

"Yes. You're going to need your sleep if you want to survive your hangover tomorrow," I replied with a devilish smirk. Disliking alcohol has its perks.

"Fine," she huffed, though she didn't remove her arms. I ended up having to untangle myself from her and grab her hand so we could fetch the other two.

Weeding Bolin out from the group of girls proved to be a bit of a challenge, but it was nothing compared to tearing Tahno away from his make-out session. In the end I had to physically remove him from her lips in order to get us out.

"You're no fun," he whined as we walked. Well…I walked. The rest of them stumbled a bit.

"You'll be thanking me tomorrow when I help you with your hangovers," I retorted with a smirk. Tahno rolled his eyes.

"She's right, don't harp on her," Korra scolded playfully, draping her arm protectively over my shoulder.

"Ah I'm just teasing," Tahno returned, bumping his hip into Korra's. It's a good thing that I was there to keep us all balanced!

"You're quiet Bolin," I observed. "Are you all right?"

"Hm? Fine," he replied distractedly.

I took a closer look at him, just to be sure. What I noticed was he kept stealing glances at Tahno. Korra wasn't the only one interested in someone of the same gender. I smiled knowingly and let the topic drop, allowing Korra and Tahno to return to their good natured banter.

The next morning I was woken by soft knocking, which was unusual. Normally I was one of the first people awake.

"Sorami?"

That was Korra. Something had to be wrong. I practically flew to the door.

"What's wrong?" I asked, almost instantly realizing that my reaction was a bit over-shot.

"I feel awful," she moaned. I stifled a snicker and led her into the room, closing the door behind her.

"Welcome to the bottom of a glass of alcohol. Included with the prize is as follows: dry mouth, pounding head, dizziness, nausea, and more!" I crowed, imitating an announcer.

"Oh shut up," she grumbled in response as she flopped onto my bed, throwing an arm over her face. This time I did laugh, sitting beside her.

"Do you remember anything from last night?"

"Not really. It's all one big blur," she replied. That was a little disappointing. I was hoping to see if she actually meant everything she had said about loving me.

"Well I can't really fix memory loss, but I can help with the headache." I didn't waste time in drawing up water and gently massaging her temples. After a few moments of this, she began to relax. "Better?" I asked softly, never ceasing in my healing.

"Much," she responded with a sigh.

"Good. Just a few more minutes and you should be good to go," I informed her.

"Thank you," she said earnestly, cracking open her eyes.

I smiled, hoping it wasn't giving away the sudden sadness I felt. "Any time."

**And here is the first main conflict. Like I said before, this segment will be different than the last. Sorry if you don't like the romance-y thing. I'll try to not make it the center of attention, but sometimes things don't go as planned. Anywhoo, I still hope you enjoy my writing and keep coming back to follow the story :)**


	5. Chapter 5

There was a storm coming. I could feel it in the air, and it was going to be big. No one else seemed to feel this, so it was up to me to insure the house was up to my standard for protection. No one was going to be hurt on my watch. The first thing that was on my list was reinforcing the walls, so that's exactly what I set out to do.

As I was weaving more rock into the walls, I felt someone walking my way. Sensing it was only Bolin, though, I didn't pause for long.

"Hey Sora. What're doing?" he asked curiously.

"There's a storm coming, so I'm making sure the house is safe enough to protect everyone from it," I explained, focusing on a particularly weak spot.

"How're you doing that?"

"By weaving more rock into the wall. To do this, I have to practically liquefy the earth and meld it with the structure already there. It's taken me years to master."

"Think I'd be able to help in some way?"

I paused in my work to think. "Do you know how to effectively use seismic sense yet?"

"A bit. I'm still not the greatest at it, but Lin says I'm coming along well enough."

"All right. Let's see just how good you are. Go around and pat your hand on the wall. You should be able to see how thick it is. Look for thinner spots and mark them with a little divot," I instructed.

"Oh…but…uh… I kinda only know how to use it with my feet," he stammered sheepishly.

I only smiled encouragingly. "Then this will be an interesting exercise, now won't it? Go try anyways, and remember: it's the same concept as using your feet. Tune into the vibrations of your native element." He gave a short nod and went off to carry out my assignment, letting me get back to the wall I was working on.

It took most of the day, but by the end I was happy with the security of the house walls physically. Tomorrow I'd reinforce it with Spirit Earth to give it double the strength. For now I was done.

"Thanks for your help Bolin. You're more skilled in seismic sense than you think," I said with a smile as I walked over to him. He beamed at my praise.

"Any time!"

He then went into the house, the smell of food wafting from the open windows drawing him in. My stomach growled, prompting me to follow. As I walked in the door, I was immediately pounced on by a hyper Meelo and Ikki. Jinora just looked on, amused.

"You guys want to race gliders before dinner?" I suggested, knowing well enough that they had been bugging Pema, who shot me a grateful look. The three Airbender kids ran off to find their gliders while I slid mine out from its holder on my side. "Thought you could use some peace and quiet," I mentioned as I walked out the door.

"Thank you Sora!" I heard Pema call in response. I smiled, opened my glider, and flew off to find the other kids.

As I was flying, I suddenly felt the air get heavier. Something was going to happen, and it wasn't going to be good.

"Auntie Sorami! Auntie Sorami! I'm going to beat you!"

My attention was diverted to the small little Airbender boy as he flew up in front of me.

"Now Meelo, we all have to start at the same time," I pointed out. My words ended up being useless, though, for his sisters were in front of me not a second later, leaving me in last place. "All right then. First one to the other end of the island wins!" I declared, now picking up speed. We were off!

In the end I allowed myself to be beaten by the Airbender children, who danced around proclaiming their victory. I could only smile.

"Come on young ones. Dinner should be ready now," I said herding them into the house. They instantly took their places at the table while I took baby Rohan from Pema so she could make their plates.

"What would I do without you Sora?" she asked spooning sea prunes onto the plates.

"Exactly what you have been doing," I replied. "You're a wonderful mother Pema, and you know it."

She blushed slightly. "You would make a great mother too you know," she mentioned.

I sighed longingly. "I wish I could have children Pema, but unless there's something Sanura hasn't been telling me, that will never happen."

"Have you considered adoption?" she questioned. Huh. No I hadn't.

"Actually no, but then again I travel so much I haven't even considered settling down. Maybe it's time I stayed with the family."

"We would love to have you here."

I smiled, a wonderful picture forming in my mind. I could even continue practicing healing in the city.

"I believe I will be staying for a while," I finally decided. It was about time.

"Yay! Auntie Sorami's staying with us!" Ikki squealed happily, bouncing in her chair.

"She can play all the time now!" Meelo added throwing up his arms in celebration. I laughed.

"Maybe not _all_ the time, Meelo, but I'd be happy to play whenever I'm around. I'm going to start looking for a part-time job in the city as a healer, but don't worry. I'll be around plenty to play," I promised.

Pema looked quite happy at that last part.

"I'm going to round up everyone else. Mind if I take Rohan on a walk with me?" I asked her.

"Go right ahead!" she approved. I looked at the happy bundle in my arms.

"Come on little one. Let's go for a walk around the island. I think you'll like it. It's really pretty outside," I said to him. He cooed in response, making me chuckle lightly. I'd definitely have to look into adoption. "I'll be back in a little while," I let Pema know. Then I walked out the door to find the rest of my family.

As we were walking around the island, I felt a familiar presence nearby. Looking up into a tree, I spotted her and smiled.

"Hello Sanura."

She flew down and landed on my shoulder, nuzzling against my cheek. "Hello Sora. Who is this young Airbender?"

"Rohan. He is Tenzin's youngest son."

Rohan reached up curiously; Sanura nudged against his outstretched hand affectionately.

"Sanura, is it possible for me to have children?" I blurted, taking her slightly by surprise.

"I'm…not sure," she finally admitted. "I always thought you could, but after this long I'm not so sure. It's as if there's something blocking you from conceiving."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the union between a man and a woman is more than just physical. It's spiritual as well, as you know. However, it seems with every man you've been with, there has been this block that has prevented you from conceiving a child. Whether this block was formed by you or by some outside source is unknown to me. I will look into it now that I know you want a child, but it might take a while."

"Thank you Sanura. I really do want a child, but if it's with another person, I want to be connected to them. Pema suggested adoption, so I'm going to look into that," I informed her.

"That's a wonderful idea! And if you ever do find someone you completely allow yourself to open up to, then perhaps you can have a child with them as well if I can figure out more about this block," she added.

"It would be nice to be able to start a family. I wouldn't have to roam anymore," I mentioned.

"You would feel more complete. After you lost Aang, you seemed to lose sight of true happiness again. You found it again when you decided to remain here," she said, nuzzling baby Rohan again, drawing a happy burble from him. I smiled at them.

"I am very happy here," I murmured. "I'm with my family again, where I belong, and I don't think I'll be leaving again any time soon."

"Good. Now continue your search for the others. I'm going to go look into your pregnancy issue." She flew back into the tree. "I'll be back soon. Take care, my Sora."

"Goodbye Sanura, and thank you for everything."

She gave a little meow-hoot in farewell before disappearing in a little flash of light. She was the best Spirit animal guide a girl could ask for.

The first person I happened to come across was Asami as she was taking a stroll along the beach. She must be feeling good today.

"Asami!" I called, picking up my pace slightly to catch up with her.

She turned and smiled, waving in greeting.

"You look well today," I mentioned, shifting baby Rohan slightly so I had a more comfortable grip on him.

"I'm feeling pretty good, and I was getting tired of lying around all the time, so I decided to come here. It's so peaceful," she replied looking back at the ocean. I hummed in agreement.

She looked back at me, her eyes glowing. "You're so good with him."

I looked down at the little Airbender with a smile. "I've had practice."

"I hope I'm as good as you when my child is born."

I looked back at her. "You'll do just fine. Pema and I are here to help too, and Katara would probably be glad to come up for a while to help you too. We'll teach you everything you need to know, if you don't already know how to do it. Mother's instinct is an amazing thing," I told her. "I'll show you. Here."

Without much warning, I placed Rohan in her arms, which instantly conformed to him to support his head.

"See? You'll do just fine," I repeated with an encouraging smile. She looked at the child in her arms, her eyes slightly dewy.

"You know, I never thought I'd be having a child this soon in my life. I was going to settle down with a man I loved, get everything in order, plan. With Mako, I thought I loved him enough, but now…I don't know. I want him to be there for the baby because it _is_ his child after all, but I don't think I want to be with him for the rest of my life. Is that wrong of me?"

"No," I replied immediately. "You should never have to be tied to someone you don't love just because you're having a child. If you don't love him, then don't feel obligated to go any further than a friendship, no matter what he says."

She looked a little relieved by my statement, which made me laugh inwardly. Boy was Mako in for a surprise when he finally got the guts to pop the question! It was his own fault, though, and at this point, I don't think Korra will take him back either. He'd learn pretty quickly to not mess with women's emotions.

"Would you like to keep Rohan while I find the others?" I asked, already knowing that answer.

"Yes please."

I smiled, kissed the baby's forehead, hugged Asami, and continued my search.

Korra was the next one I found. She was trying to practice Airbending on the cliffs, but was getting too frustrated for it to work properly.

"Argh! Why can't this be like the other elements!" she shouted angrily, punching a nearby boulder; it shattered into hundreds of small pebbles.

"You're trying too hard again," I said walking over to her.

"It's not fair! I mastered all of the other elements right away, but I can barely bend this one!" she fumed, fire spurting from her fists with every angry movement.

"You'll get it. I promise. Just take it one day at a time," I told her, trying to calm her without having to goad her into a sparring match. (That seemed to work best if I couldn't get her to breathe.)

"How can I be a good Avatar if I can only bend three elements?"

I grabbed her arm, forcing her to look me in the eye.

"Don't ever say you're a bad Avatar. You saved Republic City and the whole world by stopping Amon. You've returned thousands of benders' bending. And you did this practically on your own with some help with your friends. That's on par with what Aang had done. Don't undermine yourself just because you're having trouble mastering an element," I said sternly, catching her off-guard with my intense gaze. I released her, softening again. "How about you take a break. Dinner's done."

At the mention of food, her eyes lit up. "Great! I'm starving!"

"And it's sea prunes," I mentioned.

She was gone a second later, a cloud of dust the only thing left of her. I laughed. She wasn't as awful at Airbending as she thought if she could move that fast!

Bolin and Lin were next. They were working on Bolin's Metalbending, and Lin was hounding on him, just like usual. What was interesting was that he was holding his own and was actually snapping back.

"Not all of us had blind Earthbending prodigies as teachers you know!" he exclaimed as she yelled at him for something or another.

"And not all of us were Pro-Benders who should be able to roll with the punches and pick this up immediately," she retorted, her voice blunt but having some weight behind the insult. Bolin narrowed his eyes, but tried again, this time succeeding.

"Well done," I congratulated when he managed to find me behind the tree I was hiding behind. "Dinner's ready, so why don't you two take a break from yelling at each other and eat."

Bolin was about to run off, but looked at Lin for permission first, darting away when she nodded.

"He's actually a very fast learner. He'd make a great officer one day. Maybe even chief," she said looking after her pupil.

"With a teacher like you, I wouldn't doubt it," I replied. She gave me one of her rare affectionate smiles.

"I've missed you Sorami. You know that don't you?"

"I've missed you too, but don't worry. I'll be staying here for a long time. I'm finally settling down," I informed her. Her eyes brightened a little.

"Good. It's about time you've taken time to make yourself happy."

The last person I found was Mako, and he was brooding near the training arena.

"Dinner's ready," I said, turning to leave as to not somehow get pulled into an argument with him.

"Wait."

I sighed; no such luck.

"Yes?"

He was quiet for a long time, almost to the point where I thought I had just imagined him talking in the first place. Then he spoke again.

"We're you telling the truth? You know, about never leaving?"

"I was. Mako, I would never truly leave someone I cared about," I replied earnestly, hoping that he would finally forgive me and we could be friends again.

He nodded, seeming to be satisfied by my answer.

"Take care of Korra, ok? She can be difficult, but she needs someone who will always stick by her side, and you seem to be the perfect person to do that since you have two-hundred years' worth of patience," he requested.

Relief washed over me. He had forgiven me.

"I'll be there for her. You can count on me," I promised.

**I'm not even going to deny it. This is a pure filler chapter. I'm ashamed... On the upside I was able to toss in a little foreshadowing for you all, so it's not all bad, right?**


	6. Chapter 6

Tenzin was already in the house by the time I had found everyone else, so all I had to do now was eat. Asami was still coddling baby Rohan, so I had my hands free to help Pema clean up once dinner was through.

"So what are you planning to do tomorrow Sora?" she asked as we washed dishes.

"Well, there's a storm coming, so I'm going to strengthen the walls a little to make sure we stay safe. If I finish that before sundown, I'll go look around the city for an open healer position. In a city this big, that shouldn't be too difficult. I might go by the orphanage too if I have time," I told her.

"Mind if I tag along?" I turned to see Korra walk in from where she had been listening.

"I don't see why not, but I'm only going after I'm sure about the house being strong enough to hold out against the storm," I repeated.

"I don't mind waiting. Tenzin probably will have me training all day anyway," she replied. Why did she want to come with anyway? I was just looking for work, though it _would_ be nice to have company.

"I'll make sure to come find you when I finish," I assured, getting a nod in response.

When Korra left, Pema turned to Asami. "Do you want to go feed Rohan?" she asked.

Asami nodded with a smile.

"His bottle is ready. You can go into the sitting room to be more comfortable," she instructed.

Asami nodded again and left.

Pema turned to me once she was gone. "Now tell me what's on your mind." There's that mother's instinct I had told Asami about earlier. I proceeded to tell her everything that had happened on the night Tahno took us to the club, focusing mainly on Korra's drunken confession of her love for me and how I just couldn't seem to let it go.

Pema took in everything I said without interrupting. When I finished my tale, she hummed in contemplation.

"And she doesn't remember any of this, correct?" she asked. I nodded sadly.

"I think I have fallen for her Pema, but I don't know what to do. I've avoided relationships for so long in fear of them growing old and dying. And I don't know if she'd even want to really be with me. She was a tad drunk when she told me. What do you think I should do?"

Though I was over a century and a half older than her, I still turned to Pema for any problems I have. She's like a mother figure to me, and I wouldn't wish it any other way.

"Why don't you talk to her about it? Remind her of what she said and watch her reaction. She may feel the same but might not know how to proceed. Go slow. Don't rush anything. This is new to the both of you, so take your time," she said.

"How do I bring something like that up?" I asked, slightly skeptical.

"Just ask her if she's found another love interest. Then ease into the day Tahno took you all out and hint at what she had said. If she catches on, then begin to talk about it. If not, just keep trying. Don't get discouraged if she doesn't respond right away. It will take time to coax her true feelings out," she replied easily. I thought that over for a brief moment.

"All right. I'll try to talk to her tomorrow," I decided.

"Good. Now go on and get some rest. You look like you need sleep," Pema said taking the bowl from my hands.

"Ok. Good night Pema, and thank you," I said walking out of the kitchen.

"Good night Sora. Sleep well."

Despite Pema's well-intentioned wish, I hardly slept at all due to nightmares, most of which involved flying through a storm trying to find a voice calling for help. The others revolved falling into the ocean like Aang had. Unlike him, though, I didn't go into my Avatar state, instead waking up right when I ran out of air, cold sweat coating my body. Were these just nightmares, or were they trying to tell me something? I slowly lay back against my pillows, afraid to close my eyes again. Eventually, though, they did drift shut, almost immediately pulling me into another nightmare.

_Fog drifted all around me. I had no idea where I was, but it was dark and cold. My bending didn't work here, so I was completely blind. Slowly, I stumbled around trying to find…_something_, but there wasn't anything there. Just fog. Then I heard a sound. It was soft, but I knew what it was. It was an infant's whimper. I began to run, not knowing where I was going but knowing I needed to find the baby. Suddenly the fog was gone. I was running through the streets of Republic City. The whimpering continued, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. It seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. I took a turn down an alley, realizing that I was completely lost now. _

"_Where are you?" I muttered, beginning to back track. _

_Just as I was about to get out of the alley, a black cloud appeared in front of me, causing me to nearly double over as the spirit's energy hit me hard. Before I could recover, it was smothering me. Cuts began to form all over my body, some nearly reaching the bone. I cried out in pain and tried to fight back, but my bending still didn't work, so I was helpless against the dark spirit's assault. I fell to my knees, the pain becoming unbearable. _

"_He's coming, and this time, he won't lose," a ghostly voice whispered in my head._

"_Who?" I choked out, only to cry out as a dark trundle sliced open my cheek. _

"_He's coming." _

_The black cloud descended on me, silencing my scream._

"Sora! Sorami!"

I sat up and swung blindly, trying to fight the thing that was pinning me down.

"Sorami wake up!"

My hands were trapped above me now. I let out a fearful cry and tried to access my bending. To my surprise, it worked this time, and I immediately opted for using Fire.

"Ow! Please Sorami! Wake up!"

I was finally able to break free from my attacker. I jumped to my feet, balling my flaming fists and getting ready to fight.

"Easy Sora. It's just me."

That voice… It sounded familiar.

"It's Korra. Please Sorami, wake up."

Korra. Not the dark spirit that had attacked me? But…how?

"Sora?"

I opened my eyes. I was in my room, not an alley. I was completely safe.

"Korra?" My voice was hoarse.

"Yes Sora. It's me," she said gently, holding out her hands to show she wasn't a threat. Her hands were red. Was…was she the one I had burned?

I backed away in horror until I hit a wall, trying to escape the crushing guilt that threatened to smother me.

"Sora?" She took a step forward, concern writing on her face.

"D-don't come any closer. I don't want to hurt you again," I whispered, my voice trembling.

"Sora, I'm fine," she insisted, taking another few steps. "You were having a nightmare, that's all. It wasn't your fault."

"I burned you Korra!" I exclaimed, a tear trickling down my cheek. "How is that not my fault?"

At the sight of the tear, she rushed forward and wrapped me in a hug. "Don't cry! Please don't cry! It's ok! I'm fine! Just a little water and I'm good as gold! Just don't cry!" she fretted, petting my head and rocking me slightly.

"Now I know how Aang felt when he burned Katara," I said venomously, now angry at myself. I should have at least had the control to not cause damage! I've had two-hundred years of defensive techniques that could neutralize an enemy without harming them. Why didn't I use one of those instead?

"Stop that right now," Korra said fiercely. "It was an accident. It wasn't your fault. I forbid you from feeling bad over this."

"I _burned_ you Korra!"

"So? Amon stole my bending. It's not like you did _that_."

I tried to find an argument, but failed, so I just burrowed my face into her chest and allowed her strong arms to comfort me.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Korra asked after several silent minutes.

"Do I have to?" I replied in a small voice.

"No. Only if you want to," she assured me gently.

I took a deep breath. "I probably should."

"Ok. Let's go back on the bed so we're more comfortable." I moved to get up, but she apprehended me, scooping me up like a child. She didn't let go when we got to the bed either. "Go on," she encouraged, going back to stroking my hair.

I took another breath. "Most of the dreams had two main themes. One was me flying through a storm trying to find a voice calling for help. The other was me falling into the ocean like Aang had, though I didn't go into Avatar state. I woke up just before I drowned. But this last one… This last one was awful. It stated with me walking through fog so thick you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. I was completely alone, helpless because my bending didn't work. Then I heard what sounded like an infant whimpering. I tried to find the child, but I couldn't see. Suddenly the fog dissipated, leaving me running around Republic City's alleys. I was still trying to find the child, but I had turned down a dead end. When I tried to retreat, this black smoke rose in front of me. It was a dark spirit…or it had to be because of the pain in my stomach. It began to attack me, and I couldn't defend myself. I was quickly overwhelmed by it, but before it smothered me, I heard this whisper. It said, 'He's coming.' I don't know who or what, but I'm pretty sure it's a dark spirit, and a strong one at that. Before I got any more information, the black smoke consumed me. I couldn't get away. When you tried to hold me down, I panicked…"

"Shh shh. It's ok." She held me tighter for a moment. "It was just a dream. You're safe now."

"But I'm not. That last one was definitely a vision. The others I'm not sure. I'll have to talk to Sanura and have her help me with them, but that last one… I'm worried Korra. I'm afraid that I'm putting everyone in danger by being here. I… I think I'm going to have to leave."

"No! You're not leaving us! I won't let you!" She clutched me to her chest desperately.

"Korra." My voice was muffled due to be smooshed against her. "Korra, I won't be going forever. If this spirit comes, I'll leave to fight it then come back. I won't put you guys in danger by fighting it here."

"But what if you lose?" she whispered against my hair. "What then Sora?"

"Then…then I lose. My spirit goes into the next pair of Avatar twins." Korra began to tremble. "But I won't lose. I haven't lost before, and I don't plan on losing any time soon."

"How do you know?"

I pulled away to look at her. "Because that's my job, just like saving the world is yours."

She snagged me back. "But you've been doing that for over two-hundred years. Can't someone else take over?"

"Only if I died."

"And I _really_ don't want that."

"I promise I won't lose to this spirit. I've been fighting spirits for a long time, so I have plenty of experience. This will be a walk in the park," I assured her. At least…I _hope _it will be a walk in the park. If my dreams were any indication, this would be anything but.

**Sorry about the delay! Easter came and the family was over. It was a busy weekend to say the least, and it's going to be for the next two. The school's musical is starting and next week is tech week. You know how that is, so I might not be posting quite as much. I promise the delays won't be longer than four or so days though! So until the next chapter, thank you for reading and thank you for following/reviewing :)**


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning I woke up to find myself still wrapped in Korra's arms. I would have loved to stay there all day, but there was still that storm coming, and I had work to do, so I carefully tried to slip out of her arms to get started. That didn't go well, for she shifted and held on even tighter. I suppose a few more minutes couldn't hurt. Besides, after a night like last night, I think I deserve to sleep in.

"Auntie Soraaamiii! Breakfast!"

Korra groaned and grumbled under her breath, nuzzling her face into my back.

"All right Ikki. I'll be there in a few minutes," I called back, hoping the hyper Airbender child wouldn't decide to come in.

"Hurry! Daddy says we're going to have company soon!" she chirped before running off. Company? Who could be coming here?

"Don't wanna get up," Korra whined against me.

"We have to," I replied trying to wiggle away, to no avail.

"Just a few more minutes," she insisted.

"Someone's bound to barge in. You know that right?" I pointed out.

"Let them," she responded simply. "I don't care what they think."

"So…wait. What do you mean? What _should_ they think?" Hope fluttered in my stomach.

"They know we're practically sisters. They should think that I'm just here to comfort you," she said, not catching what I was hinting at. My hope sunk.

"True."

To avoid showing my disappointment, I settled back against her and closed my eyes. At some point I would tell her, but not right now.

"Sorami, are you going to eat? Everyone's already…" Bolin slowly trailed off as he realized that I wasn't alone in bed. "I…uh… I didn't mean…"

"Nothing's going on Bolin. I had a nightmare last night and Korra was comforting me. That's all," I explained, easing his awkward discomfort.

"Oh ok. Well, you might want to come eat. We're going to meet General Iroh at the docks soon."

My heart jumped through my throat. "Iroh?"

"Yeah! He's coming to visit before going back to the Earth Kingdom to smooth out some disturbances."

I swallowed thickly. "Ok. I'll be up in a minute."

"Korra, Pema made your favorite. Biscuits with moon peach jam."

"I'm up!" she said instantly, hopping out of bed and darting to her room to dress. I smiled slightly, amused by her reaction.

"Hey, is something bothering you Sorami?" Bolin asked, probably noticing my discomfort. I sighed.

"I had been with Zuko romantically for a while before I had to cut it off because I couldn't provide heirs. Iroh is so much like him…it hurts me sometimes Bolin. I miss Zuko so much…" Tears began to well up in my eyes. He came and sat beside me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

"Hey, it's going to be ok. Maybe it got better."

"I don't know Bo. I loved Zuko. There where points where I couldn't even look Mako in the eye because they reminded me so much of him. Seeing Iroh… I don't know if I'll be able to stay together," I whispered leaning against him for support. Korra might be able to keep the nightmares away, but Bolin was the rock in my life. Strong, sturdy, able to hold me above water when I began to sink.

"You have Korra don't you? You can deny it all you want, but I remember some of that night, and I remember you two dancing. I can still see it in your eyes. When you were saying that she was _just_ comforting you, it looked like you wanted to cry almost. You love her, Sorami. Why don't you just admit it?"

I bit my lip. "Because I don't want to get hurt. After two-hundred years of rejection or having to leave the person I love, it gets a little hard to open up, you know?"

"I understand perfectly, but Sorami, Korra is the perfect match for you! You don't have to worry about heirs or whatever. She's the Avatar, so you don't have to worry about protecting her. And I know she feels the same, because I found her sleeping in the same bed with you, and she _never_ does that, not to mention that she basically professed her love that night if I remember correctly, so what are you so afraid of?"

"Rejection? Having her torn from me by a foe too strong? Losing her at the end of her life? I might be able to cross the boundary to the Spirit World, but it still doesn't make up for that hole they leave. I still cry over losing Aang. What would I do if I lost the person I allowed myself to fully love?"

"You would grieve. You would allow yourself to hurt. Then you would go and find love again. Or you would find a way to have them reincarnated and retain their memory so you could love them for another life cycle. Death isn't the end Sorami. It's just another stage of life."

I blinked. "When did you get so wise Bolin?"

He smiled. "When my friends need me to be."

Korra came skipping back to my room just as I finished brushing my hair. "Come on come on! There's moon peach jam!" she said excitedly grabbing my hand. I laughed as she practically dragged me to the kitchen. Everyone was there, as if they were waiting for us.

"It's about time you two got up!" Tenzin scolded, though it was more directed at Korra.

"It was my fault Tenzin. I held her up telling her about a nightmare I had last night. Don't be upset," I said automatically, not wanting Korra to be unnecessarily blamed. Tenzin just nodded.

"Go on and eat you two. Iroh should be here within the hour."

I felt the blood drain from my face, but I tried to hide it by grabbing a biscuit and globbing jam onto it.

"We haven't seen him since Amon disappeared. I can't wait until he gets here," Korra said, promptly shoving her biscuit in her mouth.

"And I hope you will be on your best behavior. He may be a friend, but he's still an honored general and deserves respect."

"Yeah yeah Tenzin. Avatar, behavior, press, yada yada," she mumbled through her mouthful, waving him away impatiently.

He sighed, shook his head, and walked out, most of the group following. The only ones left were Bolin, Mako, Korra, and me. Bolin was giving me a sympathetic look. Mako was stealing glances at Korra, obviously still interested in her.

"Sooo… Nice morning right?" Bolin said, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Mornings are evil," Korra replied simply, taking another bite. I snickered.

Maybe seeing Iroh wouldn't be as painful as I thought. After all, I had my friends and family there for me.

I hung back slightly, clenching and unclenching my fists nervously. It's been years since I've seen Iroh, or been to the Fire Nation at that. This would be tense in more ways than one.

"There! I see his balloon!" Korra announced pointing at a dark blob moving across the blue sky. I bit my lip. Time was running short.

The balloon landed at the dock, hovering just over the water. The door opened slowly, only adding to the tension building in my stomach. Then he was there, three guards trailing nearby. My stomach knotted, a cold sweat breaking out across my forehead.

"Iroh!" Korra called happily, not even hesitating in running to give him a platypus-bear hug. Tenzin sighed and shook his head.

"Hello Avatar Korra," Iroh greeted her warmly. His voice hit me like a wave, nearly knocking me off my feet. Then his eyes found me. "Is that…?"

Korra turned and followed his gaze. "You know Sorami?" she asked.

"Yes. She used to visit when I was young." He began to walk toward me, never breaking eye contact. "But she stopped soon after I became a teenager."

"Why?" Korra asked.

"I intend to find out," Iroh replied. He was nearly in front of me now; I was shaking like a leaf in a storm. He stopped. "Hello Sorami."

"Hello Iroh," I whispered in response. Suddenly I was pulled into a hug.

"Why did you leave?" he whispered against my head. "I've missed you, and Grandfather has been wanting to see you again for a long time now."

"It reminded me of what I had given up," I replied, the tears from earlier escaping down my cheeks.

"It doesn't have to be this way," he said, making me flinch.

"He said the same thing," I croaked.

"Well it doesn't! Just because you two decided to end the relationship romantically doesn't mean that it has to end friendship-wise."

"I can hardly talk with you without falling apart Iroh. How can I see Zuko again and stay in one piece?"

"Let yourself love again, but this time as a close friend. It doesn't have to hurt Sorami. You can love a friend." He was right, but it was still hard. "Just…please try. We miss you so much."

"I miss you guys too," I whispered, knowing I couldn't stay away any longer. They were my family too, and cutting them out of my life was no longer an option.

After that hard yet heartfelt greeting, Iroh was soon whisked away by Korra, who wanted to spar. She was jumping around like an excited polar bear-dog pup! So as they went to spar, I began my planned strengthening of the house. Despite the nice weather today, I knew that the storm would be here within the next couple of days, and it was just gaining strength as it came. We'll be lucky if the island isn't flooded! I should probably construct a dome or wall of some sort…

A warm hand grabbed my shoulder, startling me enough to nearly slug the person connected to it. Luckily I saw it was Mako before it was too late.

"Jeez you scared me! You really shouldn't sneak up on me like that!"

He snorted. "Sorry."

"So what do you need?" I asked catching my breath again.

"I was just wondering what that whole scene was about with Iroh." And there goes my breath again.

"I used to be with Zuko. It…didn't work out," I replied softly.

"So that was the reason you left without saying goodbye," Mako said, finally completely understanding.

I nodded.

He rubbed the back of his head, his eyes downcast as he shifted from one foot to the other. "I'm…I'm sorry…for everything. I didn't know…"

"It's fine Mako. I understand. I've been there. You have to remember that I've been around long enough to have pretty much every heartbreak possible happen to me," I reminded him.

"And that's what makes this worse. I was making it that much harder for you." I pressed my finger against his lips.

"Stop it. You were hurt. You were just lashing out. I forgive you. That's all there is to it."

"Well still. I'm sorry," he repeated after I took my finger away.

"And you are forgiven," I echoed.

He smiled slightly. "Thank you for being patient with me Sorami. I promise to be a better friend from now on."

I have him a quick hug. "I'm just glad to hear you call us friends again."

The reinforcing with Spirit Earth didn't take nearly as long as I originally thought it would. It was only about mid-day and I was finished. Guess I had enough time to swing by the orphanage after all. I was just about to leave when I remembered that Korra wanted to tag along, so I took out my glider and went to find her.

As it turned out, she was still sparring with Iroh, so I paused to watch. He always had been good as a child, so it didn't surprise me when Korra was forced on the defensive multiple times. Over the years, he had learned to watch the opponent's moves to foresee where they would move, making him a very challenging person to match, as Korra was quickly finding out. After some time, he managed to get her on her back, a triumphant smile on his face. She scowled up at him.

"You have improved since our last match Korra, but you still get caught up in sheer force when you're forced on the defensive. Keep light on your feet and watch your opponent and you'll be able to strike back quicker and more accurately as well as dodge their attack," he suggested helping her to her feet.

"Also think of your Airbending training. You can't always rely on force to accomplish something," I added, pushing away from the tree.

"Same time tomorrow," she demanded, determination shining in her eyes.

"Of course Avatar Korra," he replied with a slight bow.

"Ok, how many times have I told you? Just call me Korra!" she huffed crossing her arms. He smiled.

"About twenty-five counting this time."

"Can you actually listen this time?"

"Nope."

I laughed, now remembering why I had come over in the first place. "I'm going into the city Korra. Did you want to come with?"

"Yeah! Just give me a sec to go tell Tenzin," she replied.

"You go ahead. I'll go let him know," Iroh interrupted. She shot him a smile.

"Thanks Iroh! You're the best!" she exclaimed, giving him a quick hug. "Let's go Sorami."

Again, she practically dragged me to our destination with me laughing the entire way.

**I can't believe an entire week has gone by already! I'm so sorry for not updating for so long! Guess musical is taking up more time than I thought. As compensation I will try to get up a second chapter tonight. Thank you for being so patient with me :)**


	8. Chapter 8

I can't believe it. Out of all the healers in the city, there wasn't one that healed for free. How selfish could people be? Back when Aang was alive, healers were free most of the time, only charging enough for replenishing their supplies. The healers here charged over ten times as much! That wasn't right.

"I'm going to start my own healing service," I decided, "and it's going to be how it used to. Free to those who need it but can't afford it, and cheap for those who have spare change. Healing shouldn't be something used for profit. It should be done because you want to help others. This is…_disgusting_!"

"It's the city. I've learned it's not all bright and hopeful," Korra responded. "I'll even help you if you want."

"That would be nice," I said with a smile. "Let's do it. People can come to Air Temple Island if they can. Otherwise I can go to them. It'll be the one and only _true_ healing service this city has to offer."

"We can start by going through the alleys and healing whoever we find. The word should spread quickly," Korra suggested.

"Perfect! We'll start tomorrow though. Today I want to go to the orphanage."

Korra became quiet.

"What's wrong?" I asked looking at her.

"It's just… If you were able to have children, you would probably still be with Zuko and would be happy. It's sad that you have no choice but to adopt in order to start a family," she said, her eyes glued to the ground.

"It is a little sad, yes, but I'm happy right where I am. I have my family, I have my friends…I have you. There isn't any other way I'd want my life to be going right now."

She looked up at me then, something shining in her eyes that I couldn't quite decipher. It was gone a moment later, though.

We didn't even get to the orphanage. We were passing an alley on the way there when that same whimpering I heard in my dream found my ears. Without even telling Korra what was going on, I took off after the sound, determined not to lose it this time.

She was at the very back, her clothes in tatters, dirt coating every inch of her body. In her arms wrapped in two dingy clothes were twin babies. The girl was whimpering. I fell to my knees beside the woman, who looked at me fearfully.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I assured her gently. "I want to help you."

She looked down at her children, then back at me. "I'm too ill to save," she rasped, a cough bubbling up from her chest. I knew right away her lungs were filled with fluid and the rest of her body was slowly deteriorating.

"I am one of the best healers there are. I can help you," I insisted.

"I don't have money."

"I don't ask for money."

She shook her head. "I have very little time left. If you really want to help, you will take them. Give them a good home, a good life. Give them what I couldn't."

I felt a tear escape as I looked at the two pitiful bundles. The girl's whimpering had stopped, but she had managed to push the blanket down enough to where I could see her blotchy pink face. Dried mucus crusted around her nose and eyes. If she stayed like this much longer, she wouldn't survive.

"All right," I finally agreed, my voice coming out strangled. Relief spread over the woman's features as she shifted enough for me to take the infants from her arms.

"Thank you," she breathed closing her eyes. Moments later, her breath sputtered, then stopped completely. The tears fell freely now.

"You're at peace now. Rest," I whispered, pulling off my cloak to drape over her. "Your children will be safe with me." With that, I stood, clutching the two bundles to my chest as I left the alley.

"What happened?" Korra asked immediately.

"She was dying. She begged me to take them. I watched her die Korra," I forced out, my sobs choking me. She pulled me into a hug, being mindful of the two infants in my arms.

"We should get back to the island. They need to be in something clean and warm," she murmured. I nodded, taking several deep breaths to regain my control. "Do you want me to take one of them?" she asked. I shook my head.

"I need to hold them."

She nodded in understanding, instead wrapping her arm around my waist to guide me through the streets and to the ferry that would take these two infants to their new home and new life.

Somehow we managed to get all the way to the door without anyone stopping us for questions. Unfortunately, that's as far as we got. Just as Korra opened the door for me, Ikki came out of nowhere, landing smack dab in front of us.

"Where were you two? What took you so long? Why are you all dirty? Where's your cloak? Did you get into a fight? Do I have to tell dad? What're you holding?" She bounced with every question.

"Breathe Ikki!" I exclaimed, worried that she would talk herself into unconsciousness.

"I'm an Airbender! I don't need to breathe!" she retorted, drawing a smile from me. "Soo? What happened? Why do you look so upset? Why is Korra walking around holding onto you like I saw Mako and Asami? Are you two _together_ now?"

Korra became pink at that last one. "Ikki, if you don't go away, I'll tell Tenzin about that one incident with the sky-bison," she threatened. Ikki pouted.

"It's ok Korra," I said softly, turning and handing one of the bundles to her. Then I knelt so I was Ikki's height. "This is what I brought home." Carefully, I pulled back the rags to reveal the baby girl's face.

Ikki gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Where did you—"

"I found them in their dying mother's arms in an alley. She begged me to take them and give them a better life, and that's exactly what I plan on doing," I told her, cutting her off before she could go on a tirade. For once, she was out of questions. The little infant in my arms shifted slightly, signaling her impending reawakening. "You can go tell your parents if you want. They'll find out sooner or later," I mentioned; a little whirlwind was all that was left of her a moment later.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're going to be a great mother?" Korra asked handing the other infant back to me.

"Once or twice," I replied as I followed her into the house.

"You're just so patient! I don't think I'd ever be able to that," she continued, closing the door behind us.

"It comes with time," I said walking in the direction of my room. Korra trailed after me.

"What's it like to live so long?"

"Lonely," I responded instantly, "but as long as you have a purpose in life, like healing for example, then it's worthwhile."

She was quiet for a moment, then asked, "How can you keep distancing yourself from people you love for so long?"

I sighed, gently setting the two bundles on my bed. "I do it to avoid getting hurt. Since I don't age, I don't die. However, the person I love continues to age with time and will eventually die. If I stayed with a person all the way to their death, I could have had at least four different lovers at this point, and I don't want that. I don't want the pain of reliving a lover's death every sixty years or so. It's just too much. If I can figure out a way to make my lover immortal as well so I wouldn't lose them, then I will consider allowing myself to truly love. Until then, though, it's just the best for everyone if I don't get too attached."

"So will you never truly love your children?" Korra asked softly, watching me remove the rags so I could wrap them in warmer blankets. I honestly didn't know how to respond to that.

Luckily, a new presence distracted me from having to answer Korra's challenging question. I turned to the window just in time to see Sanura swoop in and land on the bed frame. Korra jumped a little, though she didn't do anything seeing how I was calm.

"Hello Sanura. Have you found anything?" I asked giving her a smile.

"Not quite on the topic you have in mind, but I was eavesdropping on your conversation with Korra and would like to offer a bit of contentment. Though I'm not sure about making them completely immortal like you, I know of a way to extend their lives by several hundred years," she responded, instantly having my complete and utter attention.

"Go on," I insisted as I finished wrapping the twins in their new blankets.

"Most of it has to wait until they have mastered their elements of bending, but the part that you can do now involves your Spiritbending. I'll show you the proper method at a later point in time once they are fully healthy and are strong enough to withstand the procedure, but basically you will be doing what I had done to you: remodel their life essence. It will be less painful for them since they are not natural-born Spiritbenders and will not have to have that part of them awakened, but you can have their essence altered enough to where it's a partial mirror of yours, significantly elongating their lives and strengthening them," she explained.

"All right, and what about when they're older and have completely mastered their element?" I questioned, rocking the now whimpering infant boy.

"They can then make the journey to the Spirit World, where I can then continue to alter their life essence. This would be a multiple day task and would be very draining to them, which is why they must show the strength and control of a master bender before I go through with it. By doing this, their life span can be increased by a thousand years or more."

My eyes widened. A thousand years? That's a long time for what would originally be an ordinary mortal!

"That's unbelievable!" Korra exclaimed, her eyes just as wide as mine.

"Just wait until this next part," Sanura said, a twinkle in her eyes. "If you choose to love, Sora, I can show you a technique that would lengthen your lover's life by at least four-thousand years. I'm trying to find out more about it, but as far as I know, you two must be Soul Linked. It's the same concept as soul mates, but you can be linked to multiple people. It may even work for children too. There is a test to see if you are Soul Linked, but I will tell you more on that later when I see you have truly opened yourself. Until then, I leave you with this thought: love always triumphs death." And with that, she spread her wings and soared out the window, a slight glow signaling her return to the Spirit World.

After several stunned minutes of silence, Korra finally turned to me. "Who was that?" she asked, clearing her throat as her voice squeaked slightly.

"That was my animal Spirit guide," I replied fondly. "She's been helping me learn more about Spiritbending and my immortality since…well, since before the Hundred Year War."

"Do you think what she said is true? About making their lives longer I mean."

"Oh for sure! I have no doubt about her knowledge. As a matter of fact, she's probably had some knowledge of that procedure for quite some time now but didn't think I needed it until recently," I mentioned, partially thinking aloud.

Korra hummed in contemplation. "So…do you think she might be able to find a way to link you to someone you loved so they can stay alive with you forever?" she asked, her voice quieter for some reason.

"If there's a way, Sanura will find it."

**I know I was supposed to post this last night. I got side tracked. But hey! At least it's better than that six day delay with the last chapter. Anywhoo, this is where the main conflict starts to develop. Now that Sora has kids, she's going to have to learn how to love, but will she be able to after so many years?**


	9. Chapter 9

The twins were awake and clearly hungry.

"Would you mind helping me feed them?" I asked Korra, whose eyes brightened as she nodded. I handed her the girl this time and headed for the kitchen to locate some milk.

"Oh, I've been wanting to ask. Have you thought of names for them yet?"

Her question caught me off guard. "Um…uh…actually…no. I haven't," I confessed, feeling my cheeks grow warm in embarrassment.

Korra just chuckled lightly, saying no more as we walked. She didn't need to, though; my mind was already buzzing with thoughts on what to name my two adopted children.

The boy suckled happily on his bottle, his eyes closed and his cheeks pink. Come to think of it, neither of the twins had opened their eyes yet. I wonder what color they are? Maybe they are of Fire Nation descent. Their skin was lighter, though not as light as mine. It was actually between Korra and my color come to think of it. Yet their hair was unlike anything I have ever seen. Even though it was dirty, I could see the whitish-blue that the baby girl had and the more golden-white hair the boy had. It was beautiful to look at, but it didn't tell me much about them. If I could see their eyes, I could decipher what nationality they are and name them accordingly. (I could also name them based on the element they could bend, but they are so weak right now that I can't tell if they even _are_ benders.) I sighed, shaking my head a little. This would be hard.

"Sorami? Korra?" Pema's voice floated through the kitchen to the sitting room where we were.

"In here!" Korra called, gently readjusting the baby in her arms to a more comfortable position. Pema popped her head around the corner, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she quickly came to sit beside us.

"Oh the poor things! Ikki told me all about how you found them. Are you all right dear?" she asked me, putting a motherly hand on my knee.

"I'm ok now. Seeing their birth mother die was hard, but at least I know she's not in pain and her children will be safe," I replied, my gaze pulling away from the baby boy in my arms to look at her.

"All right. If you need to talk, I'm always here," she reminded me. "So have you thought of names?"

Korra snickered; I blushed. "Not yet."

Pema smiled. "That's all right dear. Take your time. You'll know when you find the perfect name."

"Thanks Pema." She stood again. "I'm happy for you Sora. I know how much you wanted to have children of your own, and these two couldn't have a better person to adopt them." Then she left.

Korra snuck a glance at me from under her lashes, her smirk from earlier still playing on her lips.

"What?" I asked, my blush deepening.

"Oh nothing," she replied vaguely, returning her attention to the baby. I studied her a moment longer before shaking my head and doing the same.

Once the two infants were done with their bottles and burped, they slowly began to become more active.

"I think it's time for your first bath," I announced, talking mainly to the boy in my arms as I stood. Korra followed suit.

Thanks to being able to bend all of the elements, I was able to quickly get the water to the right temperature. Not to warm and not too cool. I gently unwrapped the boy and dipped him in. He flailed his arms, a surprised squeak coming from him. I smiled.

"It's all right," I cooed rubbing his tummy. "It's just water. I'm going to clean you off."

With the same gentle motions, I drew the water across his body, being extra careful on his face. He kicked some, scaring himself a little when he splashed. Korra chuckled behind me.

"There. All cleaned up," I stated holding him up for Korra to take. She traded with me, going to dry off the boy and wrap him up while I began to clean off the girl.

She was a lot calmer in the water than the boy had been. It almost seemed to lull her back to sleep, though I knew she was awake because her arms were moving in slow, almost graceful circles. That was interesting. Maybe they were from a Water Tribe. The Swamp Tribe? I still wasn't sure. I gently drew the water around her face, wiping away the crust around her nose and eyes. She sighed, a tiny smile forming on her lips. My heart warmed at the sight of it, my face glowing with a smile as well.

"There. You'll all done too." I picked her up, bending the water off of her and quickly wrapping her so she wouldn't get cold.

It was then that she opened her eyes for the first time.

I gasped, freezing at the shocking blue that stared up at me. I've never seen eyes like that before! They were an icy electric blue that was even brighter and more piercing than Korra's cerulean eyes. It was as if they looked into my very soul, stabbing through every shield and mask with ease. She had to have Water Tribe blood in her. I knew her name.

"Rin."

"Hm?" Korra turned back to look at me curiously.

"Her name is Rin," I repeated, causing her to come over to compare the name to the child bearing it. When she saw the color of the baby's eyes, she gasped as well.

"They're stunning!" she breathed. "And her hair reminds me of the ice back in the South Pole. They must be from there."

Then the boy decided to open his eyes as well, drawing another gasp from the two of us. His eyes were the lightest and purest of gold with yellow flecks deep within them. They were even brighter due to the golden white of his hair.

"Uri."

Korra nodded mutely, still in awe.

"The sun and the moon," I whispered, looking between the two infants. "Fire and ice."

Soon everyone was aware that there were two new additions to the family. Korra and I were quickly swarmed by everyone wanting to meet the twins. It didn't take long for requests to hold them began. As Korra was distracted with Asami, Bolin tapped my shoulder.

"A) can I hold her? And B) have you talked to Korra yet?"

I handed him the now sleeping baby and shook my head. "I just can't do it Bo. I don't want to lose her," I said dejectedly.

"You won't lose her," he insisted, instinctively rocking the baby as he spoke. "If anything, you two will get closer!"

I sighed, my gaze slipping over to the girl in question. She was hovering over Asami's shoulder like an eagle hawk, her eyes trained on the boy in her arms. Something like motherly protection shined in them.

"You should tell her tonight," he urged nudging me.

"Bo—"

"Sorami, how will you know if you never ask? She could be the one you've waited for so long. Someone who you can just be yourself with. Someone who won't look at you for your Spiritbending. Someone who doesn't need heirs. Someone you can actually love. Do you really want to let that chance go?"

I slowly shook my head. "No. But Bo, what if she doesn't feel the same? What if…what if she tells me to leave?" I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to calm the sudden ache in my stomach that thought brought.

"She would never do that. She's not that type of person. Sora, think about it. If she didn't feel the same, would she have even gone into the city with you today? Would she have slept with you that night when you had those nightmares? Would she be holding your hand, wrapping her arm around you, basically claiming you for herself, if she didn't feel the same?"

I pursed my lips, looking at her again. She had reclaimed Uri and was now talking with Tenzin. "I guess not…"

"There you go! Talk to her. Please. You need someone to take care of you after all these years alone."

He gently slipped Rin back into my arms before backing away, allowing the next person to claim me. However, my mind remained on Bolin's words, turning them over and over until they were seared into memory. He was right, of course, but something was still holding me back. I just couldn't tell her. Not yet.

**Woo! Got another chapter up tonight! Hopefully this'll make up for the next long stretch of time that's bound to happen this week as musical and English homework take over my life. If I'm lucky I might be able to get a chapter up before Thursday, but if not, I apologize. I hope you all are liking my story so far! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Thunder rolled across the sky. The air was thick, electrified with the coming storm. I stood in the doorway, gently rocking a fussy Uri as I gazed at the darkening sky. Hopefully my reinforcements to the walls would hold. This storm was going to be a bad one. I might even have to go to the city to quell the destruction at some point.

The wind kicked up slightly, blowing my hair back from my face. Uri opened his eyes then, looking at the dark clouds above us. He reached his hand out, as if trying to touch them.

"It's going to be a bad one," I said to him. "I'm worried. I don't want anyone to get hurt during this storm."

He looked up at me, seeming to sense my concern, and placed his hand on my lips. I smiled slightly and planted a kiss on his palm. The wind blew again, bringing the smell of rain with it.

"I should make that wall," I mused aloud. "It might be too late soon."

I heard the waves begin to crash against the shore, a sure sign that the storm was nearly upon us. It was moving very fast. Maybe if it ended just as quickly there wouldn't be as much damage. The first raindrop hit my cheek.

"Time to go inside little one," I murmured, my chest squeezing with the dread that preceded something bad happening.

The wind was howling, shaking the windows. Rain pounded mercilessly against the island, a constant roar above our heads. All electricity had gone out not long ago, forcing Korra, Mako, and me to use our Firebending for light to locate some candles. A loud crash of thunder made me jump, my grip instinctively tightening on the twins. Korra was sitting stiffly beside me, worry and a hint of fear etched on her face. I glanced at the window nervously. My reinforcing seemed to be holding up so far, but there was no telling how long the storm was going to last. Lightning lit the outside, allowing me to stare in horror at the humongous waves that seemed to be drawing nearer to the house.

"I have to put up a wall. The last thing I want is for the island to flood," I declared as I handed the twins off to Korra.

"Wait Sora! It's too dangerous!" practically everyone exclaimed.

"I'll be fine," I insisted. "This will only take a second."

Before anyone could move to stop me, I darted outside, instantly having to bend a sphere of water and air around me to keep from being blown away. The fastest and safest way to do this was to go into my Spirit Avatar State, so that's exactly what I did.

My glow was the only light visible besides the lightning. The ground beneath me began to shake as I drew up a thick wall around the entire island, shielding it from the waves threatening to drown it.

Once I was satisfied with the wall, I began to calm down, the glow dissipating. I was just about to go back inside when I thought I head something. It sounded like a voice, but I wasn't sure. Pausing, I closed my eyes, listening. There! My eyes snapped open and I was in the air before I even knew what I was doing.

The wind was merciless as it kept trying to knock me into the frothing ocean below, but I was determined to find the voice that was calling for help. Lightning flashed, the deadly bolt striking a little too close for comfort; I didn't stop. The voice seemed to have gotten louder now, though I still couldn't tell what it was saying. Rain obscured anything within two feet of me, making it nearly impossible to see where I was going, let alone the person yelling. The wind kicked up even more, causing me to momentarily lose control of my glider before righting myself again. It was then that I realized I couldn't hear the voice anymore. I dipped lower, hoping that, by some chance, I would hear it again. No such luck. The sky brightened, lightning tearing through the clouds. And that's when I saw them: two glowing red eyes staring at me from the blackness.

My breath hitched as fear seized control. The rain pelted me, my shield dropping. I couldn't stay in the air. I was falling. I didn't even have time to breathe before cold water engulfed me. The eyes faded away then, bringing back my control, but it was too late. The current was too strong, and I had no idea which way the surface was. Panic set in, but I couldn't bring myself to do anything about it. My struggles slowed to a stop. This was the part of my dream that I usually woke up, but I knew this was no dream. This was the end.

**GAH! I am sooo sorry that it took so long to post! Musical had completely taken over my life for the past two weeks. It's over now, so I promise to update more often than once a week. And since this is such a short chapter, I'll put up the next one as well. Thank you all for putting up with me!**


	11. Chapter 11

Butterflies flitted around me. I was back at the Southern Air Temple sitting in one of the meditation pavilions. The sun was warm, the sky was blue, and all was peaceful. Calm. _Right_. There was no pain. No sadness. No crushing loneliness. Airbender children were playing in the distance, some riding air scooters around. I smiled, holding my finger out for the butterfly to land on. I studied its wings; they were a beautiful cerulean blue. There was something familiar about that blue…

Suddenly it fluttered away, taking my thought with it.

"Sorami! Come play!" I heard one of the children should. I stood and ran over, hopping on an air scooter of my own. "Catch me if you can!" he giggled. I gave chase, laughing the entire time.

Eventually I managed to touch his shoulder, grabbing hold of his shawl.

"Aww! You got me!" he whined turning to face me now. I gasped, surprised that he had crystal blue eyes. Again, that blue…

"Sorami."

I looked up to find one of the monks standing atop the stairs.

"Yes?"

"Come with me. There is someone who wishes to see you."

I released my air scooter and followed, wondering who would want to see me.

He led me to the main hall where I spotted a lone figure with a dark maroon cloak covering his head.

"Who is that?" I asked the monk, but he had disappeared. "Hello," I called to the stranger. "Who are you, and why do you wish to see me?"

The figure remained motionless.

I went closer, now a little unsettled. "Um, excuse me. I, uh, I heard you wished to see me. Why?"

He still didn't move. I was nearly next to him now.

"Um, sir?"

I reached out to touch his shoulder, but a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist before I could make contact. I gasped at the firm grip, trying to pull away but failing. His face was still hidden by the cloak.

"L-let me go!" I shouted, now afraid.

"Don't give in Sorami. Don't stop fighting. You have to live," he said, his voice so familiar that it pained me.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I whimpered, terrified tears welling up in my eyes.

"Remember!" His grip tightened. "Remember who you are! Remember where you are! Remember!"

I was shaking. I know who I am! I'm Sorami. I'm an Airbender who will soon be moving to one of the female only temples. I am now at the Southern Air Temple. This is my birthplace and home. I knew all of this already!

"Sorami." He looked up then, the hood falling back. Behind it was a man with Airbender tattoos and hazel eyes that pleaded with me. I knew him, but I didn't know how. "Sorami, you have to remember. You have to fight. Please. Don't give up. They need you. The world needs you."

"Who needs me? Why? I'm just another Airbender child. What can I possibly do?" I asked, my fear fading for some reason.

"No. You're not just another Airbender child. You're the Avatar."

I laughed. "No I'm not! That's Aang!"

"And he's your brother. Why don't you remember?"

"I don't know who you are, but you're definitely mistaken. I'm an only child, and everyone knows that Aang is too. I don't know where you got any of this information, but they were wrong."

"No Sorami. I speak the truth."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but you aren't. Now please let me go. I don't want to have my time wasted by these outlandish stories."

"Do you know how I know I'm telling the truth?" the man demanded, his intensity frightening me a little.

"You aren't," I continued to deny.

"I am, and I _know_ I am because I am Aang. I am your brother. And I have passed on to the Spirit World."

My mouth became dry as I shook my head. "You need help," I croaked. "There is something wrong with your mind. Aang is twelve years old. He isn't dead. And I'm not his sister!"

"Remember Sorami!" he shouted at me, making me jump, the fear returning once more. "Remember Zuko! Katara! Sokka! Toph! Remember Korra and Mako and Bolin! Remember your children Rin and Uri! You have to remember!"

Blue eyes flashed in my mind. The achingly familiar blue eyes that I've been seeing everywhere.

"You have to remember before it's too late. Please Sorami. You have to remember. I don't have much more time here. Please!"

A red scarf. A warm hug. Ice and Fire. Sun and Moon. Image after image played through my mind. My body was trembling violently.

"Remember Pema, Tenzin, Jinora and Ikki and Meelo. Remember Lin. I know you can Sorami. You _have_ to!"

A laugh. A smile. A warm hand in mine. An island. A city. My knees gave out; the man caught me.

"Remember Sanura, your animal Spirit guide. Remember Naga, Korra's animal guide. Remember Oogi and Pabu. Remember Appa and Momo. Come on Sorami, you can do it!"

Wings. Fur. Love. I gasped, a glow surrounding me.

"Now fight!"

Darkness enveloped me.

**Is it wrong that I had fun while writing this chapter? Anyway, please accept this as my apology for not posting for so long. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I do :)**


	12. Chapter 12

Pain was the first thing I noticed. Complete, crippling pain. Then the cold. It penetrated my skin and went straight to the bone. Then the lack of air. My eyes flew open, immediately blurred by the water. Not a moment later, they were glowing.

Warmth. I was warm. How was I warm? Oh no. Am I dead? I can't feel anything! Why can't I move? What's going on? Light. How was it light? There's a storm going on. Was it lightning? Was I passing over? I can't pass over! I just got back! No! I began to try to move, struggle, open my eyes, but nothing happened. Then I felt it. The one thing that assured me that I was alive. It was a warm hand cupping my cheek. That touch alone was enough to calm me and allow my body to heal itself.

Everything was a blur. My mind was fuzzy, my body was numb, and I had very little memory of how I got to be here. I still don't know where "here" is! All I was aware of was the presence that hasn't left my side. Sometimes they would run their fingers through my hair. Sometimes they would cup my cheek. Sometimes they would hold my hand. Occasionally I felt their head fall onto my lap, probably asleep. But one thing remained the same: they never left.

For the first time in what felt like a while, I moved. I flexed my fingers, then my toes. Finally I took a breath and opened my eyes, the light too bright for comfort. There was a head on my lap. It was the same person who had been with me the whole time I was recovering. Finally I was able to see who it was, though I should have guessed all along. Lying on my lap, sound asleep with dark circles under her eyes, was Korra.

I must have fallen asleep again, because the next thing I was aware of was a soft crying. Korra's head was gone as well, causing worry to creep into my chest. I cracked open my eyes, which were immediately sore due to the bright light, and turned my head to search the room. What I found was Korra curled in a ball on the floor against the wall, sobbing silently into her knees.

"Korra," I rasped, my voice barely audible.

She froze.

"Korra," I called again, my hand trying to reach out to her, but only managing to twitch. She slowly looked up, her tear filled eyes eventually finding mine. Time stood still. Then I was being cradled to her chest, her sobs coming freely now, no longer muted. I closed my eyes again, feeling safe in her arms.

"I thought I lost you!" she managed to choke out.

"What happened?" I asked, finding that talking was quickly tiring me out.

"W-we found you on the beach. You were soaked and barely breathing. There was water trickling out of your mouth, and a few times, you actually stopped breathing. Tahno had to get the water out of your lungs b-because…because…"

She was becoming hysterical.

"Easy Korra. It's all right. I'm ok," I crooned, my eyelids becoming heavy. She gulped in a few breaths, trying to calm down. Eventually she did and was able to continue.

"I just couldn't do it. I wasn't even able to stay in the room while they were reviving you. I-I thought you were dead for sure. I thought I lost you, and I never got the chance to tell you…to tell you that…that I…"

My consciousness left me right at that moment.

Cool water slid over my body, soothing my aching muscles. I sighed contently, opening my eyes to find an Air Acolyte working on my chest.

"Where's Korra?" I asked, causing her to pause momentarily.

"Oh good! You're awake! Tenzin had to remove Korra because being here was becoming detrimental to her health."

"Is she ok? What happened?" I tried to sit up, but quickly became dizzy.

"Easy. You're still recovering. She is fine," the Acolyte assured me. For some reason I didn't believe her.

"When will I be able to walk again?" I asked. She ran the water over my body, analyzing the damage that still needed repairing.

"Most likely a few weeks, if not months." Too long.

"All right." Little did she know that I'd be walking by tomorrow.

"There are others who wish to see you," she mentioned, efficiently distracting me.

"Who?"

She turned to the door, calling "Come in. She's awake." Two jade eyes peeked around the corner.

"Sorami!" Bolin exclaimed happily, pushing the door open completely.

"She's still not completely recovered, so be gentle," the Acolyte warned, replacing her healing water in the bowl and leaving.

Bolin took her place, being as careful as possible as he pulled me up into a hug. "You have no idea how worried we were," he murmured in my ear.

"I have a little bit of an idea," I responded. "Korra had been crying the one time I woke up." He pulled back, avoiding my eyes. "Oh Spirits what happened?"

"She's…not good Sorami. She refuses to come out of her room. We have to force feed her sometimes. We always hear Naga whining inside. There was a point where Mako had to break down the door to make sure that she was still there and…well, alive. It's not the Korra we know, and it's really scary."

My head spun, but not because of my injuries. This was bad.

"Ok. I can fix this. I just need to get…up." I cringed in pain, the breath nearly knocked out of me as I just barely attempted to move. "This won't work," I hissed falling against Bolin.

"Not your smartest move," he pointed out, cradling me.

"I need to see her though, and I don't exactly have the patience to heal myself at this moment."

"We'll take care of her until you can. Don't you worry about a thing," Bolin said laying me back on the bed.

Fine. Guess I'll have to heal myself first.

"Hey! Do you know who else has been wanting to see you?" Bolin asked suddenly.

I smiled slightly. "Who?"

"Hang on, I'll be right back!"

His quick exit made me laugh, for he nearly tripped on his way out the door. At least his departure would give me some time to begin healing myself.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and feeling the energy within me. There were multiple blocks, so that's where I'd start. Then I'd worry about the rest of the physical injuries later. Just like I had for Katara all those years ago, I took my hand and began to move the energy, focusing on the blocks to break them up. I gasped as one of them broke, the freed energy making me dizzy; I didn't stop. There were still several left. Another broke, strength flooding my limbs. Hopefully there wouldn't be much left to heal after I got done with the blocks. The Acolytes should have theoretically taken care of most of my injuries anyway. Another block broke. Almost done.

Just as I finished clearing up my blocked energy, Bolin returned with Mako, each of them holding a small bundle in their arms. A brilliant smile lit up my face as I held out my arms.

"They've missed you," Mako said giving me Rin.

"Nothing we did could make them happy. They'd just cry and fuss until Korra held them, and lately…"

"I know Bo, and I plan to fix it as soon as I can," I said quietly, pressing my lips against my daughter's head.

"You have to heal first. Korra will be ok until then," Mako denied sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Actually, I should be able to walk again by tonight if I have another fifteen or so minutes alone," I mentioned, holding out my free arm to Bolin, showing I wanted Uri.

He complied, placing the baby in my arm as he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Oh, when you left I began to heal myself. The Acolytes can heal my physical injuries, but they can't unblock my energy."

"Makes sense," Bolin admitted, also sitting.

I pressed my lips on my son's head, smiling into his golden hair. It felt good to hold them. "So what have I been missing? Nothing too big I hope."

"Well, after the storm the city was in shambles, but Tenzin and Lin are taking care of that. Asami is finally not getting sick anymore. Um… Iroh's contacted both Katara and Zuko. They should be here in a few days. Pema's been taking care of the twins since Korra's…you know. That's about it I guess. Anything I miss Mako?"

Mako shook his head.

"Can you go back to the Katara and Zuko bit?" I asked, shifting slightly.

"Oh yeah. Iroh kinda panicked. He was afraid you were going to die—"

"We all were," Mako cut in. Bolin shot him an annoyed look for interrupting before continuing.

"Anyway. He was afraid you were going to die, so he called Katara freaking out begging her to come heal you. Then he called Zuko telling him to come and say his goodbyes because you might not make it. They're taking the first ships out. Actually, Zuko's taking an airship out, so he might be here by tomorrow."

"When did Iroh call?" I asked, my brows knitting together as I tried to wrap my head around the fact that Zuko was coming _here_.

"Mm, yesterday I think. He tried to call a couple days after we found you, but the power was still out. It was finally back on three days ago."

"Ok, so how long have I been disabled again?"

"Oh… Not sure. What do you think Mako? Two…three weeks?"

My eyes shot open wide. "_Three weeks_?!"

"Give or take," Mako agreed. I was completely in shock.

Three weeks. I've been unconscious for three weeks. Three weeks that I could have been helping clean up the city. Three weeks that I could have been helping heal those injured by the storm. Three weeks—

"Sorami!"

I was jerked out of my down spiraling train of thought by Bolin's voice.

"Don't beat yourself up about this. You nearly drowned. It's not your fault you've been unconscious for that long. Your body had to heal itself enough before letting you take over," he said sternly.

"Seriously, when did you get so wise?" I asked, again amazed at how grown up he had become.

"Yeah Bo. When _did_ you get so wise?" Mako echoed staring at his brother.

"Eh, living with Airbenders rubs off after a while," Bolin replied nonchalantly, a goofy grin on his face. I couldn't help but smile as well.

"All right. I obviously have a lot of catching up to do. Would you two mind holding the twins so I can finish what I started?" I asked the brothers, not really giving them a choice as I placed a baby in each of their arms. "This should only take a few minutes. Don't panic, no matter what happens, ok?"

And with my warning, I closed my eyes and focused on my energy again. There weren't any blocks, so that was good. Now to find any physical injuries that the Acolytes missed and fix those. First I focused internally, finding a whole ton of bruising and even a broken rib. That was nearly healed, but not completely—or correctly at that, and that's what hurt the most. I'll start there. I moved my hand in a circle over my chest, a gentle glow starting up. The brothers gasped; I smirked and continued to heal my ribs. Suddenly a loud crack sounded and I cried out, the rib re-breaking to heal in the proper place.

"Sorami!" Bolin exclaimed, scared by the crack.

"I'm ok," I hissed, the pain evident in my voice.

"That didn't sound like something that would make you ok," he argued, his voice shaking.

"Fine. I _will_ be ok," I snapped back, not really in the mood for this when my chest felt like it was collapsing.

Ok. Ok I can do this. I focused the healing energy on that darn rib, sewing it back together in one piece. I let out the breath trapped in my lungs in a whooshing sigh of relief, the pain finally easing. Now I can work on the bruises. There was a pretty nasty one on my lungs, which made sense. They had suffered the most from my near drowning, so I'll give them a little love. As I worked on them, the pain eased further. Just about done now. There were still some bruising on my abdomen and that was the extent of my internal injuries. The external injuries were pretty much gone. Just an odd bruise here and there, mostly on my arms and legs. Nothing too bad. This shouldn't take long at all.

I floated gently back down to the bed, melting happily into the mattress, finally pain free.

"Sorami?" Bolin's tentative voice reminded me that I wasn't alone.

"Oh! Right. I have things to do," I said aloud, partially scolding myself as I sat up.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Mako asked skeptically as I took Rin from him.

"Yes. I think I'd know how well I healed myself," I replied sarcastically, now taking Uri. Theoretically, these two should help me get Korra back to her old self.

"We'll come with you, just in case," Bolin decided; I didn't argue. That would be pointless. Besides, Korra needed to know that she had friends that would be there for her, and having these two come with to talk to her should do just that.

Bolin knocked on her door for me, calling her name softly. "Korra, can we come in?"

A nearly unintelligible sound came as a response, prompting him to try to open the door, only to find it locked.

"Here. Hold Rin. I'll take care of this," I said plopping her in his arms. With a flick of my wrist, I moved the metal lock out of place and pushed open the door with ease. Before walking in, I took Rin back with a quick "thank you."

The room was unnaturally dark. That should have been my first real sign. However, since that didn't seem to get my attention, the sharp pain in my stomach had to. I took a stumbling step backwards, groaning as I leaned over.

"Sorami? What's wrong?" Mako asked, his arms wrapping around my waist as if to keep me from falling.

"There's a dark spirit attacking her, and my Spirits is it a strong one!" I said, my voice strangled as I straightened again. "_That's_ why she's acting this way. _That's_ what caused her to fall into this depression. It explains everything!"

I quickly handed the twins to Bolin and took a step toward the open door. Rin began to whimper; she somehow knew what was in that room and that it wasn't good.

"Don't worry love. I'll be all right," I promised her, planting a gossamer kiss on her blue-white hair before stepping into the dark shadows. "You've picked the wrong person to hurt spirit. She's _mine_," I growled, my eyes instantly beginning to glow.

As a response, those same red eyes that nearly killed me glowed back, but this time they had no effect on me. It was hurting Korra. _My_ Korra. _No one_ hurts _my_ Korra. I let loose a roar of silver Spirit Fire and began my attack.

My fury helped fuel my strength as I fought this dark spirit. It was strong and holding its own, but I was stronger and angry. Nothing could stop an angry immortal Avatar protecting the one she loved.

"You've made a terrible mistake, and I'm going to make sure you pay for it," I snarled, snapping a water whip at the red eyes. A rumble shook the room and the shadow surged, pulsing as it reared up to smother me. "Not this time," I hissed through my teeth, pulling up a Spirit ball to encase myself in. The glowing white light cut through the shadow with ease, drawing an unworldly shriek from the thing. "Now go back to where you came from and never come back!" I shouted, opening my palm and shooting a light beam straight through the heart of the shadow.

It shrieked again, but didn't dissipate like I thought it would. I don't understand. That should have destroyed the dark spirit! Why didn't it? An evil chuckle came from the thing. Then the voice.

"You think you can defeat me. I find you amusing little Avatar. It will be fun to watch your life energy leave your eyes." Cold terror gripped my spine.

"Who are you?" I asked narrowing my eyes. Another chuckle.

"That's not your concern."

I took a step back, my heart pounding in my ears. What _is_ this thing?

Through the rush of blood in my ears, I heard a sound. It was soft, like the original one that had first prompted me to open the door, but this time I could hear what it was saying.

"Sorami. Help."

It was Korra. My eyes snapped back and forth, trying to find her among the shadows. When I did, my vision became tinted with red. She was gaunt, nearly sucked dry of life. Dark circles rimmed her sunken eyes. Her lips were dry and cracked. Her blue eyes were so dark that they were black and lifeless. This spirit was _killing_ her! The last thing I remember was a flash of light and my vision being blotted out by red hot rage.

**I think this is one of the longest chapters that I've written. I feel pretty accomplished! After this chapter, the point of view will start to bounce between Sorami and another character, mostly Korra. I'll make sure to put a note at the top of the page when that happens. If the view happens to change in the same chapter, the part that's not Sorami will be in these . So until next time, please enjoy this chapter! :)**


	13. Chapter 13

_Alternate POV_

"Sorami! Sorami you have to calm down! Sorami!" Wind whipped around Mako, nearly drowning out his the terrified voice; he kept trying. "You defeated the spirit Sorami! Now you have to calm down! You're going to destroy the island if you keep this up!"

The only reaction he received was her glowing eyes searching through the dust trying to find him.

"Please Sorami!"

"Mako, it's not going to work. If anything it's going to make her angrier. Let me handle this."

Mako looked down at the half-dead girl in his arms. "But Korra, you're hardly able to stand! How are you supposed to go up against a pissed off Spirit Avatar who's lost control?"

"I have my ways," she stated determinedly, pushing him away as she stood.

Sorami lit her fists on fire, becoming angry at not being able to locate Mako, and threw. The fire ball came a foot away from hitting Bolin, who brought up an earth wall just in time to avoid getting singed by the ashes.

"Ah! I'm getting the babies out of here! Hurry Korra!" he cried out fearfully.

"And be careful!" Mako added, reluctantly releasing her.

Sorami aimed in the general direction of his voice, hitting him straight on. He stumbled back, his arms burned. "Ow!" She threw another one, but this one luckily missed. He would have to distract her long enough for Korra to get to her, so he began to make noise to keep her attention.

"Where did you go?" she muttered in a thousand voices, searching once more.

"Right here!" he shouted, dodging the resulting fire ball. "What? Can't aim?" he taunted, hoping he didn't sound as afraid as he was. He ducked another fire ball. "Hurry Korra," he whispered. "Hurry!"

Korra stumbled through the dust toward the floating figure in the center of the room, the glowing white eyes her only beacon in the fog. The wind picked up the more Mako taunted the angry Avatar, nearly knocking Korra over at one point, but she struggled on. She had to get to her; she was the only one who could calm her at this point.

She stifled a shout as she tripped over the uneven floor, her knees bouncing painfully on the split wood. "Spirits that hurt," she hissed getting back to her feet. Almost there now. Just a few more feet…

Korra couldn't reach her; she was too high. Now what? A particularly strong gust briefly lifted her off the ground, roughly depositing her back a moment later. That gave her an idea. She took a steadying breath, felt the air around her, and began to bend it to her will, lifting her to Sorami's height. Wasting no time, Korra wrapped her arms around the immortal Avatar's waist and pressed her cracked lips against the other girl's, pouring her soul into the kiss. The only other thing she could do was wait. Wait and hope.

It seemed like an eternity, but eventually Korra felt the stony lips respond to the kiss, molding to match hers. She sighed in relief, pulling Sorami closer and deepening the kiss. The glow faded as the immortal Avatar closed her eyes, melting against Korra's body. Slowly, they began to drift down, touching the ground after a few long moments. Only then did Korra pull away. Sorami's glowing eyes opened again.

"Come back to me Sorami," Korra pleaded, never releasing those two glowing orbs. "Please come back."

The girl tilted her head, as if listening to Korra's voice, so Korra kept talking.

"Your work is done Sora. You don't need to be in the Avatar State anymore. The spirit's gone. I'm fine. You saved me Sora. You saved my life."

The girl blinked slowly, as if she were waking from a dream.

"But now you have to calm down," Korra continued, a hint of desperation coming through in her voice. "You don't want to hurt anyone by accident. I know you can do it Sorami. I know you can regain control. I know you can come back to me."

The immortal Avatar's lids drooped slightly, her shoulders relaxing.

"That's it! You're almost there. Just relax. Calm. Soothing. Everything is all right. There is no danger. Just family and friends. Peace," Korra crooned, her thumbs rubbing circles on the girl's back. The glow finally faded back to her normal stunning silver eyes, which promptly closed as she fell into Korra's arms, unconscious.

**I think I'll keep the labels as so: Alternate POV will be one of the other characters (Korra, Mako, Bolin, Tahno, etc.) and Sorami's POV is self-explanatory. As this chapter makes obvious, Korra is the closest person to Sora and is the only one who can calm her if she loses control (which is rare as it is). It's only a matter of time before one of them confesses. This was actually a harder chapter to write and went through several rewrites before I was happy with it. Oh, and keep this dark spirit in mind. He'll be popping up again.**


	14. Chapter 14

I was sore, but I wasn't injured. I was also extremely confused. Where was I? How did I get here? How long have I been out (again)? What happened exactly, and why couldn't I remember? _What did I do_? That last one was the one that scared me the most, and because it scared me so much, I procrastinated getting out of this foreign bed. It's not a good practice to avoid consequences, but if I couldn't remember, then I must have done something pretty bad, and I did _not_ feel up to facing what I did just yet.

It was a good couple of hours before I couldn't hold it off any longer. I couldn't run away from this, and I might as well face what I did now than wait until I'm unable to fix it. So, with dread sitting heavily on my chest, I got up and slowly made my way to the main room of the house, a part of me knowing that there was no way this would end nicely.

"Sorami!"

Wha—my feet weren't on the ground! The room spun, causing me to try to grip…well, _something_, but finding my arms pinned to my side. Then, as soon as it began, it ended, my feet back on solid ground. Oh. Ok. Bolin had given me a hug. Ha! Wow am I out of it!

"You really shouldn't be up," Mako said also standing from the couch.

"I can't avoid the world forever, so why put it off any longer?" I responded, the dread clear in my voice.

"What do you mean avoid the world?" Bolin asked, confused.

"Avoid whatever I had done before I found myself in a random room," I answered softly, now looking down. Everyone was quiet, which scared me more than yelling.

"Oh Sorami. You didn't do anything," Bolin started, but I cut him off by holding up my hand.

"Don't lie to me. Whenever I can't remember a portion of time, it means that something really bad happened. The last time I lost my control, I had killed an entire fleet of Fire Nation soldiers with Bloodbending, so I _know_ I did something. There's no point in hiding it."

Bolin looked away; my stomach churned with terror and self-anger. What did I do?

"It really wasn't that bad."

The brothers and I turned at the new voice. A tired looking Korra was standing in the doorway, Rin asleep in her arms.

"What did I do?" I croaked, my knees becoming weak.

"You saved my life, and if that's bad, then I must be a horrible Avatar."

I shook my head. "No. That's a lie. I might have saved your life, but what did I _do_?"

"You lost control, yes, but Sorami, it wasn't that bad. If you hadn't, we both might be dead right now."

"Who did I hurt?" I caught Mako tug on his sleeve out of the corner of my eye; I had it pulled back not a second later, my eyes taking in the remains of what were obviously very bad burns. Tears welled up as I backed away. "Who else?"

"No one," Mako replied instantly, "and the only reason I got hurt was because I was stupid and wasn't paying attention. That's it." The tears fell.

"You're not going to listen to us, are you," Korra stated with a sigh.

"I hurt Mako," I whispered.

"But you_ saved me_. Sorami. You have to understand. Even though you're immortal doesn't make you any less of a human. You're going to make mistakes. You're going to hurt others on accident. If keep beating yourself up over every little thing that goes wrong you're going to make yourself sick. I'm not going to stand here and watch you slowly kill yourself!"

I looked into those endless blue eyes, wanting to drown in their depths.

"She's right Sorami. If I recall correctly, it was you who told me that I can't dwell on the past mistakes I've made. It's time for you to listen to your own advice." Katara. She was here? But that means…

"If you're here, then how long have I been unconscious?" I asked hesitantly.

"Only a day and a half this time," Bolin responded, drawing a semi-relieved sigh from me.

"That's not too bad."

"Don't change the subject Sorami. You need to hear this and listen," Katara interrupted, getting my attention. "You can't dwell on past mistakes. It will only hurt. It's done. There is no fixing it. You have to move on now. Live for today. Look forward to tomorrow. Love as if you were never hurt. There is no way to change the past, and it happened for a reason, so there is no reason to dwell."

Katara was right, of course, but I had hurt Mako. How can I forget about that?

"Do you remember when Aang had burned me accidently? Do you remember how upset he was? He had to forgive himself to unlock the Avatar State. You have to do the same. We forgave Zuko. I'm sure you can forgive yourself."

"Hey now. I had helped after I got my head on straight."

That voice. Could it be? I slowly turned and instantly lost myself in his tender golden gaze.

"Hello Sorami."

"Hello Zuko."

Time seemed to slow to a stop the longer our eyes remained locked. The love I had felt for him all those years ago was still there and as strong as ever; I felt as if my heart was slowly being torn from my chest. Every memory, every soft word, every tender moment played through my mind, tormenting me with what I had lost. What I had given up. What I could have had. His eyes, his voice, his smile. They were like the sweetest of fruits and the sharpest of knives, nourishing me and killing me. I wanted to run, but my feet were rooted to the ground, trapping me, forcing me to stare into those golden eyes. Tears pushed against my eyes, but none fell. A million needles pierced my lungs, making it practically impossible to breathe. I was sinking, and there was no way out. The only thing I could do was stare into those gold eyes and suffer in silence.

It was subtle, but I noticed it. The way Korra was looking between Zuko and me. That overprotective glint in her eyes. The way she edged closer, if only slightly. Why was she so wary of him? It's not like he was a stranger that only I happened to know. Katara knew him as well, and Iroh is his kin. There was no reason for her to not trust him, but that didn't change the fact that her shoulders had tensed up. I wonder what's making her act this way? Does she know something we don't? No, that can't be it. Katara would know for sure if he was hiding something, and if not her, Iroh certainly would. Also, Iroh had called him here, so there was definitely no animosity among the royal family. Could she possibly be…jealous? No. No, that can't be it. Yet…

A warm hand on my arm startled me out of my train of thought, also instantly returning me to my previous pain as I found myself hypnotized by Zuko's golden eyes.

"I know how much this hurts," he started. Were my emotions really that easy to read? "I know how hard this is for you. It's hard for me too, but we have to figure out how to restore our friendship, because quite frankly, not seeing you is more painful than anything."

I nodded, completely agreeing with what he was saying though I couldn't currently speak. He retracted his hand, leaving my arm cold where it had been.

"When Iroh had contacted me saying that you might die, I felt as if my life was falling to pieces before my eyes. After so long I would finally be seeing you, only to have you slip through my fingers, never to hear your voice or see your beautiful eyes again. I couldn't take it Sorami. Anyone in the palace can tell you how I had nearly lost my mind before finally getting on an airship to come here. I didn't know what to do. I was lost, and it wasn't until I arrived here and had Katara to help me cope did I regain my sanity. I'm not going to deny that I still am hopelessly and utterly in love with you; that would be a waste of time and breath.

However, I know that what we had could have never worked. You're destined for great things, and I was never the one for you, no matter how much either of us want to believe otherwise. I can feel the truth in that as I stand here before you, and I accept it. I want to help you accept it too, but in the end, only you can ease the pain and move past what we had into what we are now, and I hope that soon we can be friends like we were all those years ago without the accompanying pain."

I looked down to keep the others from seeing the tears finally come free. Zuko's words rang with truth and wisdom; I knew that this would be a long road with many hills to overcome, but I already know the destination, and the trip is definitely worth it if I can regain an old friend.

"Why don't you introduce us to the new additions to the family?" Katara suggested soon after Zuko and my intense reunion. That was the perfect distraction, and I quickly went to fetch a still sleeping Uri from my room.

When I came back, I saw that Katara had already claimed Rin and was currently checking her over with water to ensure that she was healthy. When she heard me return, she looked up with a smile.

"You've done well with raising them. I'm very happy for you Sora."

I smiled, blushing slightly, and traded babies with her. Uri began to wake up when he felt the water, but thankfully didn't fuss. Instead he opened his eyes and looked up at Katara curiously.

"What incredible eyes!" Zuko exclaimed as he went to meet my son.

"His sister's are equally amazing," I mentioned, partially hoping that Rin would wake up long enough to show them off.

"These two are definitely unique. I've never seen anything like them," he said giving Uri his finger. The infant studied the finger he possessed intently before losing interest and beginning to fuss. Katara handed him off to Korra, who expertly soothed him and eventually lulled him back to sleep.

"I never thought you were such a natural mother Korra," Katara teased her formal pupil, who attempted and failed to hide her blush. Katara then looked over at me, an unmistakable gleam in her eyes.

She knew.

**Not the longest of chapters, but I was trying to figure out how I wanted Sorami and Zuko's reunion to go. I would imagine it would be difficult for the both of them, Sora especially since she never truly let him go. This will come back to haunt her later on. That's all I'm going to say for now, so until next time!**


	15. Chapter 15

After a few hours I needed to get away for a little while. Too much emotion was piling up and I just couldn't take it anymore, so I politely excused myself and walked calmly outside, breaking into a run the second I was in the shadows. I didn't stop running until I got to the beach, where I took a few minutes to just breathe in the salty sea air and calm down. Then I slowly stepped into the water, a pleasant shiver running down my spine as the waves cascaded around my ankles. It was as if the bay was trying to wash away all of my pain and soothe my frazzled nerves.

I walked out farther, my skin pearly white in the light of the full moon. The waves were now up to my stomach, so I stopped walking and began to bend the water around me. Thin ribbons wove around me, shimmering in the pale moonlight. Soon I was being lifted into the air in a column of water, my eyes glowing like the orb in the sky that they resembled.

"Oh Yue! Please take my pain away!" I called out, finally voicing my emotions to the moon spirit. "Heal me! Make me whole again! I can't keep living as a hollow shell! I need love! I need to be free from my past! I need help!"

My voice traveled across the bay, crisp and clear in the still night air. "Take me Yue! Take me into your arms and finally get rid of this pain!"

The water holding me aloft surged with my emotions. Tears washed down my face as I let all those years of suppressed feelings go. "Hear me Yue!" I keened, closing my eyes as I broke down and sobbed.

The moon seemed to glow brighter as I cried, almost as if she was wrapping me in an embrace. I tilted my head up and basked in her light, feeling myself heal. She had heard me.

Apparently my lamenting wasn't heard by just the moon spirit, for I heard a voice calling my name not long after I lowered myself back to the ocean floor. I looked to the shore and found a dark silhouette walking into the water.

"Tahno? What are you doing out here?" I asked as he drew closer.

"I heard shouting and came to investigate. What I found was what looked like you completely losing it, so I got worried," he replied simply, though his eyes showed that he was still concerned.

"I'm all right now. I've been holding back my emotions for too long, and I was finally able to get them flowing properly again with a little help from the moon," I explained, hoping to ease his troubled thoughts; it seemed to work, for he gave a little smile and looked up at the glowing orb I spoke of.

"She's certainly good for helping emotions flow," he said softly. "Even when I couldn't bend I still felt her. She's always there." Out of impulse I grabbed his hand and gave a gentle squeeze. He looked down at me again. "You know, I never really got to show you just how grateful I am that you gave me somewhere to live."

"You don't have to. I already know," I responded, noticing how he now held onto my hand instead of the other way around.

"No, I need to do something for you, and I know exactly what."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Do you now?"

"Yes. I'm going to help you win Korra."

At first I thought I misheard, but after studying his face for a few moments, I realized that he was serious. "How do you know about that, and how do you expect to help me 'win her'?" I asked, my mouth suddenly dry despite all the water surrounding us.

"Are you kidding? You can see it on the both of your faces. You both sneak looks at each other, you're both happier around each other, and when one of you isn't around, the other seems to deflate a little. I'm pretty sure _everyone_ knows that you two like each other at this point!"

I turned slightly and looked out over the bay, my cheeks burning furiously; hopefully he wouldn't notice since it was dark.

"As for helping you win her, well that's something else entirely. I've talked to Bolin, and you don't seem to have the guts to tell her. Korra's usually pretty out there with her feelings. The way she confessed her love to Mako just proves the fact. I'm surprised she hasn't done the same with you…sober anyway. So I think I'm going to talk to her and see if I can convince her to initiate everything. If I can't convince her, then I'll just have to figure something else out, but I promise you Sorami, you will have Korra by the time I'm finished."

I looked back at Tahno at this point, my cheeks still burning. "I don't know if I'm ready to love yet," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He came over and hugged me reassuringly. "You're ready. Love is a scary thing, but you can't let that stop you from being happy. Sure, it didn't work out with the Fire Lord for certain reasons, but Sorami, you and Korra are perfect. You just have to see it."

I sighed. "After a couple centuries, it's hard to open up. I've been hurt and betrayed so many times by people I've loved that I've pretty much given up hope," I confessed, enjoying his embrace. It wasn't the same as when Korra held me, but it still put me at ease.

"Then let your children teach you how to love and trust again."

"Easier said than done. Don't forget that I won't die while they will."

"Didn't your animal guide give you something to slow that process?" he inquired; I nodded, figuring that Korra had told him at some point. "If she's as good as you claim, then death may no longer be an obstacle." He had a good point, but there was still that nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. "You're getting in your own way. That's all there is to it. Once you take a step back and let yourself give in, you'll find that it's easier to love than you think."

Like Bolin, Tahno was far wiser than his age; it impressed me to no end. There was nothing else to say on the matter, so I just opted to lean against him and murmur, "Thank you Tahno."

"No. Thank you Sorami."

It was late. I was sitting on my bed, serenely rocking Uri to sleep as I stared at the moon, when a knock so soft I nearly didn't hear it sounded.

"Come in," I invited, shifting so I could look at the door.

It slowly cracked open, revealing Korra in her night clothes on the other side.

"Is everything ok?" I asked, immediately becoming concerned; she never comes to my room at night. That one time was just a fluke. Something had to be wrong if she was here now.

"Oh nothing," she replied, just confusing me further.

"Then…do you need something?" I tried again.

"No. I just…I was…Ugh! Why is it so hard to talk to you? It was never this hard with Mako!"

My heart leapt to my throat. Was she saying what I think she is?

"Just say it. I won't get upset," I promised, hoping to help her a little. She tugged on one of her ponytails, still trying to find the words she wanted. Unfortunately she never got the chance to say them, for Bolin came around the corner a moment later saying something about Katara wanting to talk with her. Korra nodded and disappeared down the hallway. I sighed in disappointment, my eyes falling on Uri, who was sound asleep.

"Hey, are you ok?" Bolin asked coming to sit beside me.

"I thought she was going to tell me," I said dejectedly.

"Oh man! I'm sorry! I didn't know!" he exclaimed, causing me to look at him quizzically.

"Why are you sorry? It's not like you can control when Katara wants to talk to her."

"I could have waited a few minutes at least!"

"It's ok Bolin. Really. She'll say it when she's ready."

"Why don't you say it first?"

I pursed my lips, getting up to put Uri in his crib. "I'm afraid. I know she feels the same because pretty much everyone has told me so, but I can't shake this nagging feeling that it's all a lie."

I felt his hand on my arm. "I know how you feel. Really, I do. I might not be as old as you, but I've had my heart broken before, and it hurts, but that's no reason to not love. You just have to go for it. Just jump. You don't know if you'll fall or fly until you do."

"I should be able to fly. I'm an Airbender," I mentioned with a small smirk. He snorted lightly, pulling me into a brotherly hug.

"Yes you are, so jump."

A light breeze blew my hair back, the clean sea air filling my lungs and energizing me for the day. It's amazing how a place like the island could exist so close to a city. A little way off I hear the Airbender children laughing and playing. Pema was humming as she hung laundry out on the line. Birds were singing in the trees. The waves were splashing against the shore in a steady rhythm. Everything was perfect. Peaceful. Just as it should be.

I was about to go inside when two voices caught my attention. Asami and Mako were walking along the beach, apparently talking about the future. She was telling him how she was nervous about being a mother. She was afraid that she wouldn't make a good mother or that she would fail her child like her father had failed her. Mako kept insisting that she would be a great mother and that she wouldn't be alone in this. It comforted me that someone besides me was telling her this; it just solidified what I had said before.

"You're right. I know you are. It's just scary to think that there's another life inside of me that relies on me to survive," Asami told him. I imagined that she was pressing a hand against her swelling abdomen as she spoke.

"You won't be alone in this. I'm going to be there to help. Always," Mako repeated, though his voice changed when he said it this time. Was he going to…? "Asami." He was. Oh Spirits, he was going to propose. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

I clamped my lips shut as to not allow my snicker to escape; I knew her answer already—and boy was he in for a surprise!

"Oh…um…this is…unexpected," she stammered, trying to figure out how to let him down gently. He waited patiently. "I'm sorry Mako. I can't. I don't love you anymore, and I'm not going to marry someone I don't love."

"Oh. Uh…ok then."

This was too awkward. I almost felt bad, but then again, he made the mistake of leaving Korra to do this, so he would just have to deal with the consequences. I shook my head, unable to conceal my smirk as I walked back to the house.

My original plan was to go check on the babies, but Tahno intercepted me before I could even get into the house. "Come with me."

"Uh…why?" I asked pulling my arm out of his grasp.

"Just trust me, ok?" he sighed.

Wary now, I followed him to the cliffs, the sea breeze blowing my hair back gently.

"Ok, what do you want?" I asked crossing my arms.

"Just to talk. Get to know you a little better. Get some information on the others here so I fit in better," he replied avoiding my eyes. I softened a bit, realizing he was uncomfortable.

"Tahno, what do you really want to ask? I can see it on your face."

Instead of answering, he sat on the edge of the cliff, his eyes locked on the horizon. "What's it like to live so long and not love?" he asked softly. Interesting route, but all right. I sat beside him with a bit of a sigh, watching a few water birds fly overhead.

"Lonely. Hard. Painful at times, like when an old lover reappears for instance. It hardens one up, closes off their heart after a while to avoid the pain. It separated them from the rest, isolates them. You know, even the Avatar isn't as separated from the rest of the human world as I am. She'll die eventually, so she can love freely without dreading the day her lover will die and leave her alone for the rest of eternity." I swallowed thickly, finding tears lodged in my throat and fighting to keep them there.

"You know that's not true."

I turned to look at Tahno, wondering what he was getting at. He looked back, his eyes locking with mine; I looked away first.

"You know that she loves _you_. Not Bolin. Not Mako. Certainly not me. _You_. And it's hurting her that you won't open up and let her love you."

"And how do you know?" I mumbled, my hand sinking into the rocks around me as I turned them to sand.

"She told me."

The lump in my throat jumped to my eyes.

"She did?" I whispered, desperately fighting to hold the tears back.

"Yeah. She told me that she wants to be with you, that she wants to tell you how just how much you mean to her, but she's worried about what you'll do. She knows how hard it is for you to love, so she's trying to take it slower, but you don't seem to show any other affection towards her at all that would indicate that you feel even an inkling of what she does, and it's killing her to think that she loves you so much and all you see in her is the reincarnation of your brother."

By now I had lost the battle with my body and the tears were flowing freely.

"That's not true," I croaked, my voice so quiet that Tahno almost didn't hear it.

"Then _show her_."

"It's not that simple!" I insisted, wiping at my eyes so I could regain at least some sort of vision.

"It is," he argued.

"No. It's not. Tahno, imagine being loved, then having that person turn around and pick some other person who had money, looks, who was _normal_. Or have them suddenly try to kill you. Or have them tell you that you're a freak and that they could never love someone like you. Or have them be torn away from you by a fatal would or illness that you couldn't heal, no matter how powerful your bending was. Imagine having that happen every single time you opened yourself up. Imagine having that happen every time you showed your true self. Imagine being lifted by love, only to be slammed down by betrayal _every single time_. After a while you lose faith. You stop trusting. You give up on love and hide yourself away. Steel your heart against the pain that love always brings. Run away from any mutual attraction that begins to form. Zuko and Mako were only two people I've left because I was afraid of loving. Because I _couldn't_ love. You say it's so simple, but try being around for two centuries with nothing but heartbreak coming time and time again to knock you down. At some point you get worn out and just stay down to avoid the pain of falling."

Tahno couldn't find the words to retaliate with, so he just settled to silently gaze out at the water, digesting my words as I curled into a ball and cried. It's not fair! It's just not fair.

Eventually it was clear that we weren't going to continue to speak, so Tahno slowly got up and left. I didn't move. I couldn't. There wasn't a point anyway. So there I sat on the cliff, my face buried against my legs that were stained with tears, the only thought on my mind being how unfair it was that I had to protect the Physical World from the Spirit World and couldn't even be granted the ability to love and not get hurt. Maybe I should just dive off this cliff, let the water take me away, pull me under never to surface. Put me out of my misery. But, of course, I couldn't. I had two babies to take care of now. I made a promise to their mother, and I wasn't about to break it just because of my pathetic position on the concept of love. Yet I still didn't move. I couldn't.

Night fell upon the island, allowing the stars to come out to play. I was still on the cliff in the same position as I had been, though my tears had run out a few hours back. No one had come looking for me, which only added to the intense loneliness and depression that had settled over me.

Was I really that insignificant? Did the world even really need me? People die every day. What's a few more due to dark spirits? Korra and Pema could take care of the twins. They'd give them a good life. Korra could teach them how to bend. They'd be happy here. I really am not needed all that much. I could just step off the edge. I could just fall. Forget. Forget every pain. Every betrayal. Just forget and let myself fall.

Slowly, I lifted my heavy head to look at the calm water of the bay.

It could end. The pain. The loneliness. The water could wash it all away.

One leg straightened, hanging over the edge.

I could be taken by the elements. I could give my body to them and set my spirit free. I could be with Aang again.

My other leg straightened, and I pulled myself closer to the water waiting below.

I've been here long enough. Two centuries! That's much longer than any other human lived. I deserve to be at peace after so long.

I slowly stood up, my legs trembling beneath me.

Just one step. One small step to freedom. No more pain. It will all be gone.

I closed my eyes, one word whispering past my lips.

"Goodbye."

I stepped off the edge into the open air, falling for the last time.

**This chapter was one of the hardest to write so far. This is Sorami's hardest fight and the main conflict of this installment. She has fallen far. It will take more than love at this point to save her.**


	16. Chapter 16

_Alternate POV_

Where was she? Tahno said she was on the cliff! Korra looked around, making sure she didn't accidentally miss seeing her. No. She really wasn't there. A splash sounded nearby; her heart sank. That couldn't have been. No. It wasn't possible. She approached the edge of the cliff, dread knotting in her stomach. Bubbles rose in the calm water below. Panic overtook her; she didn't even hesitate to leap off the cliff after the woman she cared about so much.

Korra paced back and forth in the sitting room, waiting anxiously for news on Sorami's condition. Why did she jump? It just didn't make sense! She knows that everyone on the island cares about her. She knows she has family here. Why would she want to throw that all away?

The door opened and Katara walked in, her face drawn; Korra's heart dropped to her feet.

"Well?"

Katara took a deep breath. "She had a lot of water in her lungs. It's as if she purposely kept breathing once she was under. I got it all out, but there is still some damage that I'm working on. The way she hit the water also broke some bones, so there's that too. Otherwise she is physically fine. It's the mental part I'm concerned about."

Korra tugged on one of her ponytails. "Why do you think she did it?" she asked, needing an explanation.

Katara sat on the couch, her fatigue showing now. "I believe she finally broke."

Korra's brows pulled together. "What do you mean? She was fine just the other day!"

"She's been around for two centuries. One of those centuries she was completely alone. After she found Aang things got significantly better for her, but that only lasted for three years. That's how long she had been with Zuko. Leaving him was one of the hardest things she's ever done. He was the first in a long time that she had allowed herself to love, if only partially. Even with Aang she was careful to maintain a little distance, never getting too attached. I can only imagine how much pain she's gone through throughout her life." Katara shook her head sadly. "She couldn't take it anymore. She was broken, and this time she couldn't pull herself back up."

"But what about the twins! What about Tenzin and the family! What about…what about me? Did we really not matter that much to her that she thought it was ok to jump off that cliff?" Korra was obviously distressed, so Katara tried her best to console her.

"It's not that everyone didn't matter enough. It's that they mattered too much. She can't stand the thought of losing everyone, especially you. From what I see, you're the person she's most attached to. The thought of losing you was probably too much and she decided to end it before she could see you die."

Korra looked in the direction of the room Sorami currently resided in. "What can we do to help her?" she asked.

Katara stood once more to put a hand on her former student's shoulder. "Show her how much we care. Help her through this. Teach her how to love again. Other than that, all we can do is hope."

Three agonizingly long days passed with no change. Sorami still hadn't woken up, and Korra was beginning to worry that she never would.

"I wish there was a way I could talk to her. Go to the Spirit World or something," she said on the third day, becoming increasingly frustrated that she couldn't do something to help. She was the Avatar for Spirit's sake!

"Um…you can go to the Spirit World Korra," Katara pointed out.

"Not really. I suck at meditating. That one time I made contact with Aang was just because I had reached my lowest point," Korra responded.

"Think about Sorami. I'm sure you can get a hold of him again, especially since it's his sister who's in trouble," Katara coaxed. Korra pursed her lips, mulling over her former master's words. She did have a point.

"I'll try," she said skeptically, "but I doubt I'll get very far." And with that she headed for the meditation pavilion to try to contact her former incarnation.

"Ugh! Why can't this be easier?" Korra exclaimed after several minutes of nothing. This wasn't getting her any closer to helping Sorami. If anything, it was just wasting time.

She stood, about to leave, when a pleasantly familiar voice sounded behind her. "Leaving so soon?"

Korra spun around, a relieved smile lighting up her face. "Aang!"

"I'm assuming you called me to speak about my sister's current position?" he guessed. Korra nodded, her smile fading to a drawn frown.

"Yeah. She tried to kill herself a few days ago and now she won't wake up. I need to know how to help her…and I'd like to know exactly why she jumped."

Aang nodded. "In order to understand, you must see what her life had consisted of before I had reawaken," he said, placing a hand on top of her head.

Korra gasped, her mind filled with visions of Fire Nation attacks, prisons, heartbreak, betrayal, and pain.

"Things weren't as pleasant after she found me either," he continued, now showing her a giant underwater dome and a cold prison cell. Then she saw Sorami chained to a table, writhing in pain and slowly deteriorating as she was injected time after time with green fluid. Then it changed to her being electrocuted within an inch of her life.

"Then there's what had happened with Zuko. That was the hardest thing for her to go through." Korra saw a smiling Sorami now, though her expression quickly changed when one elder woman asked about heirs. She then witnessed the painful goodbye that transpired between the lovers.

"After that, she lived mostly alone, traveling the world to heal like she had been before. This time, though, she refused love, sealing her heart away. She couldn't take it anymore. Now, being here and finding herself once again facing love, she began to fall. She refused to let it surface. She kept denying that she felt it or that her interest felt it in return. She pushed it down until it got the best of her. When she couldn't deny it any longer, she found all of those old painful memories resurfacing. It got to the point where they poisoned her mind and forced her to go to extremes to stop the pain." Aang's voice was sad as he spoke of his sister's downfall. He had looked up to her ever since they met; seeing her like this pained him more than anything.

"Ok. I understand why she did it now, but how can I fix it? How can I put her back together again? How can I save her?" Korra repeated, determination and desperation shining in her cerulean eyes.

"Right now she's in between worlds. Not quite in the Spirit World, but not in the Physical World either. I can't contact her at all, but maybe you can. If you can get in touch with her animal guide Sanura, she may be able to help you get to her. As for how to restore her, I would suggest telling her how you truly feel."

Korra looked away now. "She doesn't feel the same. She can't. It's impossible," she mumbled.

"It's quite the opposite actually. She cares deeply for you Korra. You have to show her that it's safe to love again."

Korra looked back at Aang. "How?"

Aang smiled. "Just be yourself, and don't be afraid to fully show how you feel." And with that, he faded away, leaving Korra wondering how in the world she was going to contact Sorami's animal guide.

Luckily, Korra didn't have to wonder for very long; Sanura was actually waiting her turn to speak with her. A few moments after Aang had gone, she heard the signature meow-hoot of a cat owl. Turning, she spotted her resting on a nearby branch.

"Sanura?" she asked, eyeing the animal hopefully.

"Yes young Avatar. I'm here to help you contact Sorami," the majestic creature replied. Korra sighed in relief, walking over to the tree where Sanura roosted.

"How can I get to her?" she asked without further delay.

"It's not going to be easy, but it is doable. First we need to get to her body. It's going to be our portal, so to speak."

Korra nodded. "Follow me."

Once they got to Sorami's inanimate body, Sanura began to explain what would happen. "Basically you're going to transfer your spirit into her body, then follow the path that she had taken to wherever she is now. It'll be marked with her spirit energy residue. Have you gotten a basic grasp of detaching your spirit from your body yet?" the cat owl asked, perching on the headboard.

Korra shook her head, her shoulders slumping. "I can't even really make contact with Aang properly," she admitted dejectedly.

"Luckily you have me here to help you. You have to trust me, though," Sanura told her.

Korra nodded. "Anything to help Sorami."

"All right. Now close your eyes and just let go. Try to forget where you are. Try to detach your mind from your body. Basically keep yourself distracted until I coax your spirit out of your physical body," Sanura instructed.

Korra obeyed, closing her eyes and trying to focus on anything but her body. She focused on the sound of the waves, the call of birds, the smell of the air. She tried to forget about the room she was in and who was lying in the bed she sat next to. She tried to just let go, but her mind kept getting in the way. She kept going back to bodily sensations or how worried she was about Sorami.

"I have a suggestion. How about you focus on your love for Sorami? That might convince your spirit to leave quicker," Sanura suggested.

Korra felt her cheeks warm, but complied, instantly feeling lighter as she thought of every reason she loved the girl lying in the bed. She was strong, kind, gentle, and tough all at the same time. She was a friend, a mother, and a mentor all in one. She was balance and chaos. She was open yet cautious. She was a challenge, but at the same time she was relatively easy to get to give in if the moment was right. She pulled at Korra's heart in all the right ways, causing sparks to fly every time their eyes met. She made her feel alive, light, free. She was Korra's world now, and there wasn't anything she wouldn't do to keep her safe.

"Perfect. You're free now Korra. You may open your eyes."

She did just that, surprised to find herself floating above Sorami's body now.

"Just stay close and everything will be all right," Sanura instructed before glowing and diving into the unmoving girl's chest. Korra followed, instantly finding herself in a river of colors that she never thought existed. However, the colors were murky, as if polluted.

"She's fallen far," Sanura said quietly as they navigated the river. "Her chakra is nearly destroyed."

"Can she be healed?" Korra asked dreadfully.

"I believe so, though it will be up to her to allow the chakra to heal," Sanura responded gravely. They traveled in silence after that, going deeper into the chakra until the colors all faded to black. "Now we have to find her trail. It will most likely look like stardust," the cat owl said.

"Over there!" Korra pointed to a dim trail of gray dots.

"This is very bad," Sanura murmured as they began to follow the trail.

"I'll fix this, no matter what it takes," Korra vowed. She wasn't about to let Sorami go without a fight.

A figure came into view. At first, Korra couldn't distinguish it very well, but she immediately knew it had to be Sorami. As they drew closer, though, the true horror of her condition became clear. Chains with barbs were wrapped tightly around her arms, legs, and torso, drawing blood wherever a barb was. She was so gaunt that her ribs were easily seen and her cheeks were sunken in. Circles so dark that they looked like bruises rimmed her closed eyes. Her lips were thin, pale blue, and cracking, blood beading in the cuts. Her hair was limp and lifeless, much like the rest of her. Dried blood mixed with fresh blood on her naked body. Korra felt her stomach clench at the sight.

"This is worse than I ever could have imagined," Sanura whispered, horrified at the sight of her best friend and student. Korra could only shudder, tears finding their way down her cheeks.

"How can I save her from this?" she choked out, quickly losing her previous conviction as the hopelessness of the situation made itself known.

"I don't know," Sanura admitted, feeling useless now.

Korra slowly floated closer, trying to see any sign of the Sorami she loved in this lifeless creature before her. With a trembling hand, she reached out to cup the figure's cheek, instantly getting a reaction, though small. Her eyelids had fluttered, almost as if they were going to open, but didn't.

"Why are you doing this to yourself Sorami? Why are you purposely killing yourself when there are people around you who love you?" Korra asked, unsure if she was being heard but needing to speak anyway. The figure moved again, this time a twitch of the hand. Korra pushed on. "Do you want us to suffer like you had? Do you want to show us how you felt all those years? Because if that's the case, then you obviously haven't been following the lesson you taught Katara. Or are you just so broken that you forgot what it's like to love and be loved? I can show you love, but you have to let me! I can take care of you. I can help you, but I can't do that if you don't at least try to let me in. I told you once that I wasn't going to watch you slowly kill yourself, and I wasn't kidding. I'm going to get you out of here Sorami, or I'm going to die trying."

A sound so soft that Korra barely caught it came from the pathetic figure's mouth.

"You heard me. I'd rather die than let you do this to yourself," she repeated.

"No." The word was clear this time, though it was dead. Void of emotion.

"Yes. I don't care what you say. If you're going, then I'm coming with," Korra stated, making up her mind that she would follow through with it if it came down to that. She couldn't lose Sorami. Not like this.

"You have a life. You are allowed to love. Why throw that all away for someone as worthless as me? No one needs me, so why come here to try to bring me back? To watch me suffer in silence as I fall harder for you every day?" The girl's voice was bitter now, her eyes cracking open to stare at Korra, who shook her head.

"Do you honestly think that I can love? Sora, the only person that I love right now is you. If you die, then you're taking my love with you. I won't be able to love again."

"You're lying," Sorami hissed vehemently.

"No. I'm not," Korra responded calmly, taking the girl's face in her hands and kissing her tenderly. There were several snaps as the chains broke, causing the girl to fall into Korra's arms. "I'm taking you back with me, and I'm going to heal you."

At this point Sorami didn't argue. Instead she clung desperately to the girl she loved so much.

**This is only the beginning of Sora's healing. Like I said before, it's going to take more than just love to heal her. On another note, I've already started the next installment! I'm also thinking of doing a fourth part that revolves around the twins. Let me know what you guys think about that idea.**


	17. Chapter 17

I opened my eyes, staring at the white ceiling with openly expressed bitterness. Why was I still alive? Couldn't I just leave in peace? Do they hate me so much that they want to watch me suffer even more? I huffed a little puff of fire before turning onto my side and pulling the covers over my head, grumbling in irritation under my breath. I'd be free eventually.

"Sorami?"

I groaned in quiet disapproval as the voice interrupted my nap, a burning starting up in my stomach as I recognized who the voice belonged to. "Why did you save me?" I hissed angrily, turning away from Korra's worried blue eyes. Normally I would want to drink them in, but right now I didn't even want to be on the same island with them. "Why couldn't you just let me end my suffering?"

"Because I have a better way to end it," she responded without hesitation.

"Oh I'm sure. And that way is definitely foolproof and won't ever fail, no matter how much longer I live," I sneered, knowing full well that I was being awful but not caring enough at this point to feel bad about it.

"It may not be foolproof, but Sanura is working on it," Korra said, not phased at all by my behavior. I didn't say anything. What point was there? "I know you're mad at me. I know you just wanted to die. Two centuries is a long time to live after all. But it doesn't have to be miserable. You've had a hard past. I know because Aang showed me, and that's probably not even half of what you actually went through. But that doesn't change that there can still be a better future. You have been hurt by those you opened yourself up to love. Maybe that's because there's only one person that you're meant to love. Maybe…maybe that person is me."

She had caught my attention now, but I still didn't move.

"Sorami, I love you, and I want to be with you for the rest of your eternal life. I'm willing to go as slow as you want, but never forget that I love you, ok? Never feel like you have to jump to end the pain. Just come to me and I'll do everything I can to make it better. You've taken care of everyone for long enough without someone to take care of you. Whether you like it or not, I have decided to be that person, and I will protect you with my life if it comes to that." I felt her stand. "I'm going to let you cool off now. I hope you forgive me soon," she said softly before leaving.

A single tear trickled down my cheek as the door closed.

Of course she'd decide to say it now. What else was I expecting? It only took me jumping off a cliff to finally get her to do it! What do I do now? This is what I wanted after all, right? I know I love her back; I can't deny that anymore, but what do I do? I haven't loved in so long, and there are a lot of "what if's" that come with this particular instance. What if she tires of me? What if Sanura can't find a way to make her immortal? What if she realizes that she never really loved me at all? What if she finds someone else who's better? What if…?

I threw the covers back over my head to hide from Korra's confession until I could find the strength to deal with it.

Over the course of the next few days, multiple people came to check up on me. At one point Bolin had brought the twins in to see if that would cheer me up, but I pretended to be asleep the entire time so he would go away. I just wanted to be left alone right now! Is that so hard? Then came that one visit that I was dreading the most. A soft meow-hoot signaled her appearance, but I refused to acknowledge it.

"Sorami, don't play this game with me. I know you're awake. I know you heard me. Stop being a child and look at me."

I turned over and glared at her. "What do you want?" I snapped. She puffed up a little bit.

"I came here to try and help you through this tough time, but evidently two centuries of friendship is nothing to you anymore," she hissed in response. Her words pierced me like icicles, waking me up a little.

"Not nothing," I denied, my voice significantly subdued; she wasn't taking it.

"Oh it's nothing. It has to be. You jumped before confiding in me. You are pushing everyone, including me, away whenever we try to help. You're speaking to me as if I am one of the most disgusting of criminals. I don't know what has changed over the past few years, but your concept of friendship has been severely warped. When you have decided that you would like to stop being a sour beetle and be actual friends again, let me know," she spat, though I saw the pain in her eyes. Before I could try and fix it, though, she was gone in a flash of light. Tears prickled my eyes, but instead of letting them fall, I turned my face into my pillow and screamed.

Sanura's brief visit was enough to begin to open my eyes. I _was_ acting like a child. I should have asked for help. I might be immortal, but I'm still human, just like Korra had said. Just because she's the Avatar doesn't mean she doesn't ask for help, so why shouldn't I? I'm going to have to make things right, but not quite yet. First I have to take care of myself, and the only way to do this is by opening my chakras like Aang had when he was first mastering the Avatar State.

To avoid distractions, I quietly snuck out of my temporary room and went to find a secluded place off the island. Luckily there's a forest a little while away from the city that was rarely explored by humans that would be perfect for me. To avoid detection, I swam to the mainland before taking out my glider and flying the rest of the way. Once I found a good place, I sat cross-legged beneath a tree, closed my eyes, and began the process.

The first chakra that I needed to focus on was the Earth Chakra at the base of my spine. I knew this one was definitely going to be the hardest of them all, for it dealt with fear. Despite being alive for so long and experiencing nearly everything one could experience, I held a lot of fear within me. The fear of dying, the fear of failure, the fear of the dark spirits, the fear of the power I held, the fear of hurting those around me. Those fears were minor, though.

Death was just another part of life, as I have heard multiple times. As a matter of fact, I've nearly experienced it on numerous occasions, not to mention that I've gone to the Spirit World so many times that I've lost count, so I know what to expect if it ever is also something I've had experience with. I'll just have to accept it, move on, and focus on my next task. Not everything can be accomplished. It's a fact of life. Dark spirits are rightfully feared, but I know that I am strong enough to control many of them. I also have the help of Sanura if I am ever in a fight that I cannot handle alone. That's comforting in itself. The power I hold is also another rightful thing to fear, but it's something I have to accept about myself. Plain and simple. My power is like the power of nature: healing and destructive. Balance and chaos. It can't be helped. At least I am able to control it most of the time. The fear of hurting those around me. _That's_ a bit of a tough one. I've hurt a couple of people with Firebending now. First Korra, then Mako. It's frightening, but, like Aang, I have to accept this. I've accepted that I've killed thousands of Fire Nation soldiers with Bloodbending, so I think I can accept hurting two people with Firebending. That takes care of those.

Now my biggest fear: the fear of allowing myself to love. I've been hurt so many times, and the thought of being hurt again makes my stomach churn, but I'd have to learn to let go of that fear. How though? How can I let go of two-hundred years of heartbreak after heartbreak? How can I open myself to love when I probably will only be hurt again? It's just a form of self-torture if I keep doing it!

Yet…isn't that what everyone goes through before finding that one person that they will be with for the rest of their life? Don't they have to experiment before finally getting it right? Everyone goes through heartbreak before finding love.

Maybe…maybe I've just been looking in the wrong place this entire time. Maybe I just had to wait for her to be born. Maybe Korra really _is_ the one for me, and if she isn't, then I'll just have to keep looking until I find that right person. It's trial and error for everyone. I shouldn't be afraid to look for love, even if I find heartbreak first. That's how it is for everyone.

Suddenly I felt much more stable and connected to the heart of the planet. I had opened my toughest chakra.

The second chakra is the Water Chakra that sits in my abdomen. It deals with guilt, and I've experienced that on multiple occasions where I could have helped someone but didn't. I've already gotten over those instances, though. What I'm most guilty of is not helping Aang when he was trying to defeat the Fire Lord and save the world. He went through so much, and I could have helped. I _should_ have helped! The war would have ended so much sooner if I had.

Then again, I could have prevented the war to begin with had I stayed at the Air Temple. Thousands of lives would have been spared. The Fire Lord probably would have been kept out of power. Zuko wouldn't have been banished. So many things would have been changed had I just stayed that day.

Then again, if I had died, I never would have met Aang. Also, the world would have been unprotected from the dark spirits until the next set of Avatar twins was born. If I'm not mistaken, that's how the Hundred Year War was started to begin with: a dark spirit had influenced and corrupted the Fire Lord, causing him to try to take over the other nations and plunge the world into chaos. Had I died, that would have just started all over again. Monk Gyatso must have known this somehow, for he was the one who urged me to leave. Therefore, it had been for the best that I didn't interfere.

I felt my energy flow smoother, indicating my Water Chakra opening.

The third chakra is similar to the Water Chakra, for it deals with shame. The Fire Chakra, located just below my ribs, is blocked by similar instances that Aang had to get past when unlocking his: hurting someone close to me. Not only had I burned the one I love, though, but I had also hurt a friend. I burned them both in a lapse of control. They had forgiven me immediately, but I don't feel I deserve their forgiveness. I had _burned_ them! Mako still had marks when I woke up—and that was after a day and a half! How can they forgive me so easily?

_Because they care about you,_ a small voice whispered in my head; I couldn't fully believe that, though. Sure, they may care, but that's still no excuse for what I had done.

Then Korra's voice echoed in my mind: _"You _saved me_."_

But I burned Mako. I had lost control. I shouldn't have lost control.

_"Even though you're immortal doesn't make you any less of a human."_

I should at least be able to control myself after all these years!

_"You're going to make mistakes."_

But not this kind of mistake.

A new voice joined Korra now. _"You can't dwell on past mistakes. It will only hurt. It's done. There is no fixing it. You have to move on now,"_ Katara had said.

She's right. I _can't _fix it, but I should have been able to prevent it.

Then I saw Aang when he was young and unlocking his chakra. Guru Pathik had told him that he would need to accept all aspects of himself to obtain balance, and that included Firebending. Aang had, so I should be able to as well, but how could I forget that I had hurt those I cared about? How had Aang done it? How can he forgive himself so easily?

Because that's what the monks had taught. They had taught us forgiveness and acceptance. They had taught us to not dwell and to live in the present. Has it been so long that I had forgotten my roots? Have I been so damaged that I've forgotten their teachings? I suppose it's a good thing that I'm doing this then! Time to begin to live how I was taught, starting with forgiving myself.

The warmth that flooded me showed that I had succeeded in clearing and opening my third chakra.

The Air Chakra deals with grief, as its corresponding position at the heart coincides, and after two-hundred years, a lot of that accumulates as you watch those you love age and die. Aang, Sokka, Toph, Suki. All of them are gone. I lost my brother and many friends over the years, and I miss them dearly. Yet as I look into the eyes of their offspring, I can see them, and I know they all cared for me like their children do now. Love is eternal, and it will be reborn into others, such as Korra. My native element swirled around me, wrapping around my slowly balancing body. Yet another chakra had been opened.

The fifth chakra resides in the throat, where truth and lies form. The Sound Chakra is blocked by the lies I tell myself, and I knew the biggest lie I tell myself is that I am barred from love. It's clear that love is all around me if my friends are any indication. If they didn't love me, then I most definitely would be dead right now. Korra had confessed her love for me just days ago for Spirit's sake! I'm not barred from love. The only thing keeping it from me is, well, _myself_. I am allowed to love, and it's time I began to once again. Everything seemed to open up within me, especially my heart. A huge weight had been lifted and another chakra had been opened.

The Light Chakra on my forehead was next, and I wasn't sure how to open this one. It's blocked by illusion, but I already know how the nations are connected and how the Avatar is a living example of this. What's blocking my chakra then? Suddenly I remembered a part of a conversation I had (ironically just before I jumped).

_"You know, even the Avatar isn't as separated from the rest of the human world as I am. She'll die eventually, so she can love freely without dreading the day her lover will die and leave her alone for the rest of eternity."_

So _that's_ what's blocking it! But…how am I connected like Korra is? Sure, I'm also an Avatar, but I'm also immortal. Doesn't that separate me automatically? Well…the elements are also technically immortal, as are spirits in a way. Maybe the way I'm connected is through the Spirit World. I am a literal manifestation of the Spirit World in the Physical World per my Spiritbending. So I am connected to both Worlds as well as the elements and, in a way, every other human, animal, and plant on earth. With a gasp of realization, my sixth chakra opened, along with my eyes (metaphorically speaking).

The final chakra is the Thought Chakra that sits just above my head, and that is blocked by earthly attachments. Aang's was blocked by love, but I'm not entirely sure of mine. I love Korra, yes, and I love my children, yes, but they aren't keeping me attached to earth. Sanura resides in the Spirit World, so she definitely isn't holding me back. My brows furrowed as I tried to figure out what was keeping me attached to earth.

Friends? No.

Any past promises? I don't think so.

Deaths? No. What could it be?

My duty. That has to be it. But how can that be it if that's the whole reason I'm here in the first place? It's my job to protect the world from the dark spirits, right? So how could that be my earthly attachment?

Because it's the reason I've kept myself distanced from everything. That's it. My duty has been preventing me from truly connecting with my special element and my very being. I'd have to let this go in order to free myself. I wouldn't abandon my duty, but I wouldn't allow it to hold me down any longer.

Weightlessness and a sense of completeness enveloped me as my final chakra opened.

Finally everything was as it should be and I was no longer getting in my own way.

**This chapter took forever for me to write! Especially since I had to look up each chakra and figure out blocks that would affect Sorami. I'm happy with it, though. As a side-note, I've studied the chakras and other metaphysical things as well, so as I wrote this, I also was thinking of what could be blocking my chakras. It was an interesting learning experience to say the least! Well I've rambled long enough, so I'll stop here. Until next chapter! :)**


	18. Chapter 18

The island was empty when I returned, which instantly concerned me. No one was there at all—not even the twins! I began to search every nook and cranny, hoping I just missed seeing, well, _someone_. No such luck though. The island was deserted. I did the only thing I could think of: I called for Sanura.

"You've healed," she observed, her voice relieved.

"I opened my chakras. There was so much blocking them that it's a shock I was able to bend at all before!" I told her, promptly burying my head in her furry chest as I hugged her tightly. She didn't reply, instead opting to nuzzle her head against my back. Unfortunately the affectionate moment couldn't last, for I came for a reason.

"Sanura, where did everyone go? There was no one on the island when I returned after meditating and it's got me concerned."

"Korra had come to check on you about an hour after you left, and upon seeing that you were no longer there begun to panic. She was just about to dive off the cliff to search the sea floor when Tahno stopped her, asking what had her so upset. When she told him, he, too, began to panic and went to spread the news. Korra then went to search underwater. When she couldn't find you she joined the others on land to search the city. If I'm not mistaken, they should still be searching. They've been out for the past two days."

"Two days? Wow. I didn't even realize I was gone that long!" I exclaimed shocked at just how much time had passed. I thought I was gone only for a few hours!

"No. It's been two days. Almost three," Sanura informed me. The air rushed from my lungs.

"All right. Three days. I have catching up to do, and the first thing I need to do is find everyone to let them know I'm ok. Can you help me?" I asked taking a step back.

"Of course! I know where Bolin, Tahno, and your children are, but I'm not sure of the others at this current moment. I'll look and let you know as I find them. Bolin is searching around the Arena and Narooks. Tahno is in the slums. Your children are near the police station with Pema I would assume," she told me, ruffling her feathers. I smiled gratefully.

"Thank you Sanura. For everything."

"You are welcome my friend. Now go find the others."

I nodded and promptly returned to the Physical World to begin my search.

The Arena was the first place I decided to look, figuring that's where Bolin would most likely be. I was partially right; he was in the alley nearby.

"Bo!" I called running to catch up.

"Sorami? Sorami!"

I was pulled into a crushing hug seconds later. "Can't…breathe!" I choked out, wriggling slightly. He loosened a bit, allowing me to suck in a lungful of air to avoid suffocating.

"Where have you been? We were worried sick!" he exclaimed, his face buried against my shoulder.

"I had to heal myself. I'm back to normal now, if not better," I told him, my hand rubbing small circles on his back as a comforting gesture.

"We thought you…you know, tried again. Korra was hysterical when she found you gone."

"I'm sorry for scaring you all, but I needed to leave. It was the only way to ensure that I never reached that point again," I repeated.

"I'm just glad you're ok," he mumbled, his grip tightening a bit as if he was afraid to let me go.

"Do you know where the others are?" I asked, assuming he'd at least have some idea.

"Not really. I think Tenzin and the kids are looking around the middle of the city. Tahno and Lin went to the slums. Other than that I don't know," he replied a bit apologetically.

"Ok. That helps a bit. Come on, let's go find them," I invited, pulling back slightly to get him to let me go. He nodded, released me from the hug, and followed me out of the alley to continue my hunt.

Since there should be two people at the slums that would be the next place we went. When we first got there, though, I had to grab Bolin's arm to keep from falling over. There were so many dark spirits here! A cold sweat broke out across my forehead as I tried to get a hold of myself, my stomach doing flips the further inside we got. Eventually I couldn't take it anymore.

"Bolin, I have to get rid of some of these spirits. It's just too much," I said tensely, my grip on his arm never relaxing. He pulled me up against him, holding me close.

"I've got you," he whispered. His strong embrace gave me the strength I needed.

"Don't let me go. I'm going to kind of fall in a second," I warned just before separating my Spirit from my body. He gasped slightly, but never dropped me. "Thanks Bo," I murmured, knowing he couldn't hear me. Now. Let's clean this place up a bit.

By the time I was done flushing out most of the dark spirits, I was battered, bruised, and worn out. On the upside, though, everyone already seemed to be benefitting from the lack of dark spirits hanging around. Many people seemed healthier and livelier than when I first arrived. Children were actually playing instead of sitting around moping. The exhaustion was worth the results. My work was done, so I returned to my physical body to resume my original mission: finding my family.

"Hey, are you ok?" Bolin asked when I opened my eyes again.

"Yeah. There were a _lot_ of dark spirits," I responded tiredly, standing on my own two feet again.

"Can you keep going?" he fretted, keeping a supporting arm around my waist.

"Yes. I need to find them," I said determinedly. "And I think I just found Lin." Her vibrations were unique among the others here. They seemed to replicate a heartbeat. "She's close. I'll go get her. You look for Tahno," I instructed.

"You're sure you'll be ok?" he asked one more time. I offered him a reassuring smile.

"I'll be just fine. Now go! We need to find everyone."

Lin had just finished interrogating an elderly couple when I found her. She spun on her heel, clearly becoming flustered as she had come up with yet another dead end. I leaned against a nearby house, concealed by a shadow, and watched as she flagged down a man carrying a bucket of water.

"Hey you! I have a few questions for you!" she called, stopping him in his tracks.

"Yes ma'am?" the man asked, eyeing her warily.

"I need to know if you've seen a woman with black hair and unusual eyes lately. She may have been wearing a cloak," Lin demanded.

The man was clearly intimidated, but he shook his head anyway. "I'm sorry, but no one new has come through here other than that one kid with the slick hair," he told her.

She huffed a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Thank you, carry on."

The man gave a short nod before going on his way. Lin looked back up once he was gone, her expression uncharacteristically vulnerable. "Where are you Sorami?" she asked the wind softly.

"Maybe I can help," I called to her. She turned, searching for where my voice had come from. When she caught sight of me, her eyes widened.

"Sorami?" I pushed away from the building and stepped out of the shadow, a soft smile on my face. "Sorami!"

I was utterly shocked when I was swept up in a hug by her. Usually Lin wouldn't show much emotion; I must have really worried her by leaving.

"I'm all right now. I've healed myself. Everything's going to be ok from now on," I promised hugging her back.

"You better not scare us like this again. If you do I'll tie you up with my cables," she threatened. I had to chuckle at that.

With Lin helping me, I soon found Tahno and Bolin. Tahno was a mess. Bolin was trying to explain that I was all right, but nothing was working, so instead of trying to talk, he wrapped his arms around the taller boy and just held him. Lin and I paused to watch the tender moment; even her normally hard expression was softened by it.

"When do you think he'll tell him?" she whispered in my ear. I shrugged.

"Maybe when someone interferes like they did with me and Korra."

"You should give them a nudge," she suggested.

"I may once things quiet down again," I responded, my gaze never leaving the two boys. They worked well with each other. Bolin was the sturdy one, always strong enough to lean on. Tahno was the fluid one that would ensure the relationship would never become stale and would overcome any obstacle. They were perfect for each other.

"Speaking of Korra, have you two finally confessed?" Lin's question distracted me from my observation.

"She had told me she loved me a few days before I left," I told her, guilt creeping up as I recalled how I had treated her.

"She'll forgive you, you know. She's just going to be glad that you're all right," she mentioned.

"I know, and now we can finally stop hiding around each other and truly be happy," I added, my heart fluttering at the very thought. Is this what love was? Excitement? Nervousness? The desire to be with the one holding your affection? If so, then I never wanted it to end.

"I'm happy for you two. You of all people deserve love, and I think Korra is just the girl for you. You'll never be bored that's for sure!" Lin commented. I smiled.

"Most definitely," I agreed.

We waited for Tahno and Bolin to pull apart before interrupting. It didn't take long for me to be swept up in yet another hug. How could I have ever thought that I was unloved?

"If I had known you were on the verge of jumping, I would have stayed!" Tahno sobbed into my shoulder.

"Shh. It's not your fault. It was something that needed to happen for me to heal. I'm all right now and am better than I ever was before," I murmured soothingly, holding him tight.

"I still should have stayed," he insisted, sniffling.

"Don't blame yourself for this Tahno. It was bound to happen at some point. It's a good thing it happened now, otherwise I may not be here," I pointed out. He sniffed again, opting to not reply. I gently combed my finger through his hair and waited for him to calm down so we could continue looking for the others; we had a long way to go still.

It took a little while for Tahno to regain control, but I didn't mind the wait. It allowed Sanura to give me an update. Pema was, in fact, at the police station. Asami was with her helping with the twins. Tenzin and the kids were in the middle of the city looking in the parks. Mako was looking in the less than desirable parts of the city. Korra was still unknown, as were Katara, Iroh, and Zuko. They would have to wait, though. I wanted to get Mako out of that part of the city as soon as possible.

Shouts sounded in an alley, drawing my attention.

"Don't worry about it. It's just some thugs having a disagreement," Tahno said trying to steer me away; I was persistent, staying rooted in place as I listened to the scuffle. The orange glow of fire told me the argument had escalated to a peak. I didn't really want anyone to get hurt, so since I was here I would break it up.

In the end this was a good thing, for the moment I stepped into the alley, I realized that the fight going on was revolved around three thugs who had jumped Mako. The thugs were incapacitated quickly with a few well-placed strikes to the chi points and a blow to the head. Mako didn't realize who had helped him at first, giving a winded thank you as he dusted himself off. When he straightened and _really_ looked at me, though, his eyes grew wide.

"Sorami! You're all right!" he exclaimed, hugging me like everyone else had.

I hugged him in return, repeating the same line I had for the others: "I'm fine now. I had to heal myself and am better than I was before. It won't ever happen again."

He pulled away quicker than the others had, though. "Have you found Korra yet?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Do you know where she is?" I asked, hoping he would. My heart sank with disappointment when he shook his head.

"I was hoping you would have found her already. She's been taking your disappearance the worst out of everyone," he told me.

"I hope we find her soon," I said softly, my eyes finding the blue sky as I sent up a silent prayer to the Spirits for help.

**And I thought that the rest of this year would be event free and smooth sailing. Boy was I off! So yet again, please forgive me for the lack of posts. I'll try to be more diligent, but we all know how that'll go in the end. Sigh. So until next time, enjoy this chapter. Oh! And don't forget to let me know how y'all feel about me continuing with a fourth installment focused on the twins (and maybe the next Avatar).**


	19. Chapter 19

Tenzin and the kids were easy to find, for the little ones were flying around on their gliders chasing birds. I quickly took out my own and joined them, wondering just how long it would take for someone to realize I was there. As it turned out, all three of the kids noticed right away, practically knocking me out of the sky as they attempted to jump onto me out of excitement. I'll never know how I managed to get all four of us to the ground safely. Seeing his children fall from the sky, Tenzin ran over to see if they were all right, scooping us all up when he saw that I was with them.

"We're so glad to have you back where you belong," he murmured affectionately, his hug tightening briefly before letting go. "Have you found anyone else?"

"Mako, Bolin, Tahno, and Lin," I counted off, motioning to where they were standing. "I also know Pema, Asami, and the babies are at the police station thanks to Sanura. None of us know where Korra is, and I don't think anyone knows where Katara, Iroh, or Zuko are either."

"I believe my mother went to the docks. As for the royal family, I do not know," Tenzin told me.

"Then I guess we're off to the docks. Would you do me a favor and go tell Pema and Asami that I'm all right?" I requested. Tenzin nodded, giving me one last hug before rounding up his children and taking off into the blue sky. I watched them for a moment before turning to the remainder of the group. "Katara's apparently at the docks, so that's where I'm headed. You all can go with Tenzin if you want."

"The docks aren't exactly the safest of places. I think I'll stay, just in case," Lin declined right away. The boys nodded in agreement.

"Suit yourselves," I said with a shrug. And with that, we all began our trek to the docks.

My eyes widened as I saw just how many people were at the docks today. There were hundreds! What's going on?

"Hm. Looks like it's shipment day," Lin observed. Ah. That explains a lot.

"And I thought finding Katara would be easy," I grumbled.

"We'll find her," Mako assured me. I sighed.

"I know, but it's going to take forever."

After almost an hour of pushing and shoving through merchants, workers, and common civilians, I finally became frustrated. "Ok. That's long enough," I muttered as I accessed my Spiritbending. Seeing that I was still pretty drained from fighting those dark spirits earlier, I struggled to find her energy path. Thankfully, when I _did_ find it, I saw that she was fairly nearby. "Got her!" I crowed, taking out my glider and taking off to catch up with her.

"Hey! Don't forget us!"

Oops. I forgot the others couldn't fly. All well. I'll go get them once I got Katara.

Her eyes widened when I landed in front of her, a sparkle reflecting in their depths. "You're all right," she sighed in relief, giving me a short hug.

"I am. I had to unblock my chakras in order to heal," I told her, returning her hug. She gave me a stern look, holding me at arm's length.

"You didn't stop at the last one did you?"

I smiled slightly, unable to help it. "No. I got through them all," I assured her. She relaxed at hearing this.

"Good. Now, have you found the others yet?"

"About half of them. Iroh, Zuko, and Korra are still unaccounted for," I replied as I began to lead her back to the group I had accidentally left behind in my haste.

"I don't think anyone knows where Korra is. She ran off on Naga before any of us could ask where she was going. As for Zuko and Iroh, I believe they were on the outskirts of the city making their way to the forest," Katara informed me.

"Huh. If I had stayed out there for a few more days they might have actually found me," I mused, shoving my way through a particularly dense crowd of people.

"Hopefully they haven't ventured into it yet, otherwise it might take days to track them down," she said, being gentler with her shoving than I had been.

"If I need to I can use my Spiritbending. It just might take longer than normal since I'm still pretty tired from cleaning out the slums," I told her, glaring as I nearly tripped over a random box lying in the road. Katara's eyes widened.

"You cleaned out the slums?"

"Yeah. I somehow managed to get all of the dark spirits out, but it drained me pretty bad."

"That's understandable. There were so many there that even I could feel them!"

"Hey! There they are!" I crowed, catching sight of Tahno above the crowd for a split second.

"How many came with you?"

"Mako, Bolin, Tahno, and Lin. They were afraid I'd get jumped or something," I replied offhandedly. "I think they forgot that I can bend the other four elements."

"No, they are just afraid to lose you again. They don't want to take any chances," she explained.

"But they know I'm ok again. I explained everything to them when I found them, so there's really nothing to be worried about," I pointed out, catching sight of Tahno again before the crowd swallowed him.

"Imagine if Korra had tried what you did. Would you want to leave her alone, if even for a minute?"

Ok, she had a valid point.

"There you are! We were getting worried," Bolin said when Katara and I finally got to them. I opened my mouth to automatically repeat that I was fine, but suddenly my vision went white and I was standing somewhere else.

I was underground in the most beautiful cave I've ever seen. Trees and shrubs were in full bloom, pinks and purples painting the area. Hidden among the foliage was a crystal clear pond where two koi fish swam in an eternal circle. I was in the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole! How'd I get here? Also, was I physically here or spiritually? For the first time in my life, I honestly couldn't tell.

Deciding that standing around questioning the circumstances wouldn't do anything, I began to walk around, trying to find something that would give me an idea of what was going on. The oasis was just as beautiful as I remembered, and just as empty too. Not a living soul other than the two koi stirred.

"Hello?" I called, my voice echoing off the walls. "Is anyone here?"

"I am."

I whirled around, my eyes flying wide as I recognized the voice of the Moon Spirit. "Yue! But…why? What's going on?"

"I've come to warn you Sorami. He's coming, and he's stronger than he's ever been. If you're not careful, you will be destroyed. You and everyone you love."

"Who's coming?" I asked, my dream flashing in my mind. Those red eyes…

"I cannot say, but I can tell you this: you cannot allow him to get to you. He will use your deepest fears, memories, loves, regrets, anything he can to distract you. You cannot let him. You have to be strong and allow your true power to awaken. You are much more than you know, and when the time comes, you will have to trust yourself to allow that power free."

I tilted my head, my brows drawing together. "But…Sanura hasn't told me that there was more…"

Yue smiled kindly. "Even Sanura doesn't know everything. She is still young as a spirit after all. As you learn, she does too."

I thought this over for a moment, then asked, "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Just to not fear loving." My cheeks burned.

"Does _everyone_ know?" I mumbled, my eyes focusing on a particularly lovely flower at my feet.

Yue chuckled, her laugh like water sliding over rocks. "Your love for Korra is so strong that it can be felt across the barrier. That is nothing to be embarrassed by."

"No, but I fear it. What if I hurt her? What if she's taken from me? What happens when she ages and dies? What do I do then?" I asked the Moon Spirit, my eyes pleading with her.

"If your love is true and it's meant to be, it will overcome death. I will show you how to do this." She placed her hand to my forehead, a gasp escaping as images flashed before my eyes. By the time she retracted her hand, tears were streaming down my face. "Go now. Go find your love," Yue said just before the white took over my vision again.

"Sorami! Sorami! Why isn't she answering?"

I blinked, finding myself… not where I had been before I went to the oasis. Where was I now? Not the docks that's for sure! There was no one here other than whoever was holding me. Speaking of… "Hey Bolin. I'm back. You can put me down now."

The Earthbender jumped, startled by my voice, before complying. "What happened?" he asked, the fear evident in his voice.

"Oh, the Moon Spirit wanted to talk with me. It's nothing you have to worry about," I replied nonchalantly, Yue's warning echoing through my mind.

"The…Moon Spirit?" Tahno's voice was a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"Yes. Yue wanted to show me something is all. Nothing you have to worry about," I repeated, really wishing they would drop the subject.

"If your eyes are any indication, what Yue had to tell you wasn't as little as you're trying to make it seem," Katara said gently. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath through my nose.

"Please. Her message was for me. I'm not dragging any of you into my fight."

"Sorami—"

"No! I'm not going to let any of you die for me!"

Everyone was rendered silent by the desperation in my voice. Katara bowed her head slightly. "All right. We will let you fight your battle, but don't forget: Aang wasn't alone in his fight against the Fire Lord. Whatever you're up against now, you're not alone either. We all care for you and will help in any way we can," she said, the promise clear in her words.

"Whatever is coming, I don't think that you will be able to help," I responded softly. I don't even know if _I'll_ survive this fight.

After the docks, most of the others went to the police station, Tahno being the only one insisting on staying with me. I didn't really mind his company, though it meant slower traveling, but I was curious as to why he wanted to come along. It almost seemed like he was afraid to leave me alone, which was strange because that was usually Bolin. Maybe he was still thinking about not being there when I jumped.

"Hey Tahno?" He looked down at me. "Why didn't you stay with the others?" He sighed, looking forward again.

"I feel responsible for this whole mess. If I had just stayed, I could have stopped you. I could have helped you. I could have done _something_! But I just left you there, even though I knew you were upset."

I grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop, waiting until he looked at me again before speaking. "Tahno, this isn't your fault. If anything, it's mine. I had forgotten what the monks had taught me all those years ago and let myself sink. There was nothing you could do, even if you _had_ stayed."

"There has to be something," he argued, a spark of anger appearing in his eyes. I pulled him into a hug, which he resisted at first before kind of collapsing into it. "I'm sorry," he whispered against the top of my head.

"If I say I forgive you, will you stop blaming yourself and move forward?" I asked, not moving away just yet.

"I doubt it, but I'd feel a little better," he replied.

"But it wasn't your fault!" I insisted, twisting slightly so I could look up at him.

"It partially was."

This wasn't getting anywhere.

"Ok. Say you stayed. What would you do if I had gone into the Avatar state? What would you do if I had attacked you? How would you have stopped me had I decided to jump anyway? Or what if I flew out over the bay and just fell from the sky? There are so many factors that you have to think about Tahno. Who knows what could have happened had you stayed? How do you think I would feel if I had accidentally hurt you? Or worse? Quite frankly, I prefer this over anything else that could have happened, and you should too."

He pulled back to hold me at arm's length, searching my eyes for something. Apparently he found it, for his face softened and he pulled me back, any tension he previously had melting away. "Thank you," was all he said before releasing me completely. "Now, let's go find those two royals. We'll need everyone to figure out where Korra went."

Tahno and I had searched the edge of the city for at least an hour, him on the ground and I in the air. Yet Zuko and Iroh were nowhere to be found.

"I think they actually went into the forest," I told him, knowing that I would have to use my Spiritbending to find them now.

"Great. It'll take forever to find them in there!" Tahno whined.

"Not hours. I'll use my Spiritbending to track them down."

"How'll you do that?" he asked curiously.

"I'll locate their energy trail and follow it right to them. Simple," I responded, bracing myself for the wave of exhaustion that would no doubt follow at this point. I was really overdoing it today. Either that or I was out of practice. Neither were exactly good.

"That's certainly useful!"

"Yeah. Useful," I muttered under my breath, closing my eyes for a moment. When I opened them again, they were glowing. Tahno shifted in discomfort, not used to seeing my eyes this way quite yet. Already I felt myself growing weak, so we'd have to find the two Firebenders quickly. Luckily I knew their energies like the back of my own hand. "This way," I said pointing into the forest. "I can't keep this up for long, so we'll have to go by air." I took out my glider, earning a skeptical look from Tahno.

"In case you have forgotten, I'm a Waterbender. I can't fly."

"But I can. You just have to hold on and not let go," I replied with a smirk.

"Wait wha—"

I wrapped his arms around my waist, gave a small laugh, and launched the two of us into the air. Tahno clung to me, an alarmed shout escaping. "Don't worry. I won't let you fall," I promised.

Iroh and Zuko had gotten surprisingly far into the forest, almost to the clearing where I had been just this morning. How had they traveled so fast? I slowed my speed and began my descent, causing Tahno to grip my waist tighter. I couldn't help but smile in amusement. The moment we touched ground, though, it ended up being a good thing that he was holding me so tight, for I collapsed almost instantly.

"Sorami? Are you all right?" he asked. The glow faded from my eyes, showing him just how unfocused they probably were. "What's wrong?"

"Tired…" I managed to say, using whatever energy I had left to keep my eyes from closing.

"You overexerted yourself. I know you wanted to find us all, but why didn't you just ask for help?" Tahno asked, scooping me up and cradling me like a small child.

"I…I needed to…see you. To tell you…that I was…all right," I mumbled, finding myself being pulled into the realm of sleep. But I couldn't sleep yet. I had to see Zuko and Iroh first.

"We would have all went back to the island eventually. You could have waited for us there," he pointed out.

"Don't want to risk…" My eyes drifted shut as I could no longer fight my exhaustion.

**The rest of this story will be setting up what will happen in the next installment. Sorami has grown a lot from the beginning, and she'll continue to grow throughout the next segment. Just a little bit of a fun fact, her character came to me in a dream. The rest of her personality and whatnot just kind of happened on its own. I also tried to stick to how the original characters acted in the shows, but I don't know how well that worked... Either way, I'm very much enjoying writing this story and I hope you all are enjoying reading it. **


	20. Chapter 20

Sanura was waiting for me, knowing that I had used all of my energy. "I'm out of practice. This won't work," I said the moment I saw her.

"Sora, you just went through one of the hardest ordeals known in both the Physical and Spirit Worlds. It is only common sense that you are not at your full strength," she responded, trying to get me to see reason. However, I had no desire to see reason at this very moment.

"Sanura, Yue had brought me to the Spirit Oasis to warn me that some dark spirit was coming. She said he was stronger than ever and that if I wasn't careful, I would be destroyed, along with everyone I care for. That includes you Sanura. I can't afford to be this weak. Those dark spirits in the slums weren't even all that strong! I think it's time you've started to train me again," I told her, my eyes not giving her a choice.

She sighed. "As you wish, my student. You must not overdo it though."

"Fine. We start after I find Korra. Speaking of, any news?"

She shook her head. "It's as if she disappeared. I can't find even a trace of her energy pattern!" This was concerning.

"Is it possible that she could be in a place where Spirit energy is so high that it's cancelling out her pattern?" I asked, hoping that was the case. If it was, then I'd be able to find her since I'd know what to look for. If not…

"It is possible, but there is no place like that anywhere remotely near the city. Not even Aang's memorial statue is all that energetic. If she's in a place like that, then she is nowhere near the city."

"How could she have gotten that far so quickly? Naga isn't _that_ fast!"

Sanura ruffled her feathers. "You've been gone for about three days. She left the moment she found you gone. She's had a couple of days to travel now if she didn't return to the island, so she could get fairly far in that amount of time."

I nodded, thinking of how I can find her. Then I had an idea. "How do I know if I'm Soul Linked with a person?"

She tilted, confused by the sudden topic change. "There's a short process that you need to go through for you to know. Then once you know, you can perform the same spiritual bond that I will teach you for your children."

"Will it create the type of bond where the two can always locate each other or know when the other is in danger?" I asked, my heart pounding in my ears.

"Sort of. You may feel a small pull in your stomach if the other is near or in danger, but nothing like what you experience with dark spirits," Sanura explained.

"But would it heighten my ability to find her?" I tried again, hoping my wording would clarify what I was getting at. Apparently it worked, because Sanura's eyes lit up.

"It would! That's brilliant Sorami!"

A smile lit up my face. "Let's do it!"

"All right. This process is similar to unlocking your chakras, but instead of unlocking them all, it involves delving deeper into just one: the Air Chakra. You will be going through the four layers of this chakra: mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. Each of these areas hold a specific energy pattern that will form the link. If one is missing, then it will not form. You may not be aware of the existence of a certain link, but your Spirit already knows who you are linked with. It is just up to you to unblock these four passages for the energy to flow through. Even if there is no link, though, unblocking these passages will still enable you to love more freely and fully than ever before. This process needs to be done only once for links to begin to form. Afterwards, I will show you how to find the links and complete the formation if the other person agrees to it. First, though, is the clearing of the passages.

We will start with the mental aspect. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and focus on your Air Chakra. You have already unblocked it, so you should be able to feel the warmth of love rushing throughout you as you access it." I nodded, noting the sensation as she spoke. "That is the general layer. Beneath that is the mental layer. This is the attraction you feel when you become friends with someone. A non-attaching closeness, joy in their company, relation to similarities and problems. This is the beginning stages of a relationship." I nodded again, finding the layer hidden beneath the original chakra. It gave me a cloudy feeling, kind of like I was walking through fog. "To unlock this passage, you must accept that there will be those out there who will not like you. There will be those that will be just plain out awful people. However, there are those out there who will be there for you and help you through even the hardest of ordeals. There are those out there who would lay their life out on the line for you. To open this passage, you must learn acceptance."

This reminded me of the second and third chakras. I had to learn to accept the past and let it go. However, this was a little different. This acceptance isn't about personal doings, but of others' feelings toward me and their choices caused by said feelings. I needed to accept this and allow it to happen, no matter how badly I would like to prevent them from acting on their choices. How am I supposed to live with myself if someone close to me dies because I didn't refuse to accept their choice? How can I accept someone throwing themselves into death's arms just to spare me?

Sanura noticed my struggle and began to guide me again. "Haven't you put yourself into danger's way to protect a friend? Think back with Aang. Didn't you go with Eshan to keep him safe? What do you think he felt when he realized this? What do you think the others felt? You were their friend, and you put yourself in harm's way to keep them safe." She had a point, but they didn't really accept this, for they came and saved me. "What you don't realize is that this acceptance goes both ways. They accepted the fact that you sacrificed yourself to keep them safe. Then they made the choice to help you because that is what friends do. They help one another. It is a give and take. It is similar to the tides. Push and pull. Give and take. It's a cycle." That actually made sense. So I can accept the fact that they make these decisions, but then I can also decide to help them. The fog cleared, giving me a whole new sense of what friendship really is all about. "Very good Sora. On to the next layer.

The physical layer is much of what you would expect. It's the attraction to the physical aspects of a person or people. It's that instant connection via sight. This passage is cleared by control. Balance. Looking deeper into what you see. There is always more to others than what the outside world is shown. Also, just like the previous passage, you must accept that you are attracted or repulsed by a certain person or people and be able to look past their features into their true being. All of these passages are connected, with one building off the passage before it. Therefore, the other passages after this one will also require you to accept and control, along with another aspect. Do you understand?"

"Yes. It's like a tree. The roots are the base. Then there is the trunk. The trunk relies on the roots to grow. After the trunk are the branches. They can't get water and nutrients without the trunk, and without the roots, nothing would grow at all. Finally there are the leaves, which rely on all of the others to grow as well."

"Very good Sora," Sanura praised. "Now, begin to work on this passage. I will assist you if I see you struggling again."

I nodded and began to assess this passage. It wasn't cloudy like the mental layer had been. Instead, it was almost as if there was a prickling heat. It was uncomfortable. Luckily, I have had much experience with learning to not judge others on how they look. Zuko, Tahno, Korra, Asami, Toph, Lin. All are just close examples. I've healed thousands of people during my life span, and each acted differently than I expected. Some of the friendly looking patients were the cruelest. Some of the most intimidating ended up being the most emotional and grateful. You can never tell by just looking. There is always something lying underneath.

As for accepting, that's a tad more difficult, but still something I've had experience with. When Korra described Amon to me, he immediately became a monster in my mind, but sitting here thinking about it, there had to have been more to his story. There had to have been something underneath that mask that no one else was seeing. He may have just been a monster, but then again, he may have just been suffering and didn't know of any other way to cope. You can never tell unless you look deeper. The prickling heat became a pleasant warm glow as I cleared the second passage. "You're doing well. Next is the emotional layer.

This is the layer that true romantic relationships are built upon. It forms that deeper connection between the two lovers and bonds them on that deeper level that friendship can't quite attain. This passage is unlocked by independence. Too much dependence or attachment is unhealthy. You must be able to function on your own, as must the other person. If you become too attached, the relationship becomes detrimental and can possibly be fatal to the both of you. You must also be able to see past the emotional attachment to the true nature of the person you love, for love is blind and can hide fatal flaws such as mental instability or abusive tendencies. Finally, you must accept you feel this way for that person. You must accept that you may also form this attachment with others as well, but you must control yourself to make the correct decisions. You must accept old failed or terminated relationships as well. I feel this passage will be the hardest for you." I had to agree with Sanura on that, for I had Zuko to think about. However, I would worry about that later. First, I had to start from the top.

This layer was causing me to feel anxious, my heart speeding up slightly as I assessed it. The more I focused, the more anxious I became until I had to pause and take a deep breath to avoid a panic attack. I'd have to go slow on this one. The first step was the independence. Right away I knew that Korra was having trouble on that, for she was a mess both times I had been harmed. Yet I knew I had trouble with that too, because when I heard that she was a mess, I sped up my healing to go take care of her instead of allowing my body to heal on its own time. I need to distance myself a little so that doesn't happen. I have to trust that the others can help her when I can't. I have to let her be her own person. It's hard since I know someone I love is in pain, but that's how things are. I won't be able to help her with everything. That's just life.

Now, to look deeper. That's self-explanatory. I might as well start since I'm unblocking this passage. Korra is one of the most stubborn, abrasive, prideful, spitfire of a girl you will ever meet, but underneath her tough exterior is a tender soul that only comes out for the ones she truly cares for. I've seen this only a handful of times, and that's when she's so upset that she can't keep it locked back. It's as if she has something she wants to prove, not only to the world, but to herself. Maybe I could help coax her out of that habit and teach her how to express her feelings more.

Lastly, acceptance. This one will be hard. I've had many relationships, none too long. Only a few have affected me to the point where I've broken down. Yet the two that were most detrimental to me were the Earthbender of my early years and Zuko. The Earthbender had managed to shatter my self-confidence and steel my heart for rejection. He had poisoned me with fear and disgust for my powers. He had loved me, but then turned around and chose someone considered normal over our supposed love. That…actually sounded familiar. This has happened another time. Korra. That's right. She had experienced the same thing with Mako not once, but a few times. Yet she overcame that and now they're friends once more. She's even friends with the girl he chose over her! If she's strong enough to overcome that ordeal multiple times, I think I can overcome it once. Just because he didn't want me doesn't mean that I'm worthless. It just means he lost what could have been a wonderful relationship. It was _his_ loss, not mine. With Zuko, though… I had to take a breath, my heart beginning to race again. Acceptance. The relationship had happened. I was happy. _We_ were happy. But he had said it himself: it just wasn't meant to be. I knew it all those years ago. He knew it now. So why was it still so painful to even think about him? I should be glad that it had happened! Maybe…maybe I just don't want to accept that it's over. Maybe I don't want to forgive myself for ending it. Maybe I don't want to accept that it wasn't meant to be. If I was still with Zuko, I would have never found my love for Korra. I wouldn't have my two children. I may not have even come to Republic City at all! Everything that's happened, everyone that I've befriended or helped, all was because Zuko and I had never continued our relationship. It was wonderful that it had happened, but it is even better that it didn't. My heart slowed to normal, the anxious feeling being replaced by one of peace. I had finally _truly_ accepted the relationship I had with Zuko and have finally let it stop hurting me.

"Very good Sora. There is just one left now: the spiritual layer. This one is different. The other three dealt with feelings, thoughts, basic urges or instincts. This one deals with opening yourself completely. The others dealt with control, balance, independence, acceptance. Those all apply as well, but in a different way. This layer deals with freedom. Complete openness. Letting go. Giving in. The independence aspect is there to help you realize that you are still your own person among everyone, yet you are still connected. The control is there, but to control the urge to be reserved. Acceptance is to accept the utter freedom and revel in it. You must completely let go to unlock this passage, something I know you have never done. Take your time. I'll be here if you need me."

I took a deep breath…or tried to. This layer squeezed my chest. Confined it. Yet how could I abandon every bit on control I had to be completely free? Complete freedom causes chaos if not tampered by control. Friendships go awry. Love becomes possessive. Things fall apart. Freedom is poison if not controlled. I've _seen_ this. How could I make myself _become_ the very same thing?

"Ah, you're thinking of chaos. What would you think if I told you that chaos is not freedom? Chaos and freedom are not synonymous. Chaos results from too much control, not freedom. Think of the Fire Lord. He wanted to control everyone, resulting in war. Amon wanted to control benders. He wanted equality created by control. Most, if not all, chaos is created by too much control."

That made sense actually. Even minor instances reflected this. When I was taken by Eshan, what ensued was because he wanted control of my powers. Zuko wanted to control who had contact of Aang. Mako wanted control over who spoke to Korra and Bolin. All of these instances were examples of chaos on different scales, and all had a common factor: too much control. The pressure lightened slightly; I smiled. After that initial epiphany, the rest of the pieces fell into place. I am still me, just as Korra is still her and not her past incarnations. We are all independent, yet still connected. We all have our own freedom. In order to love, I must completely open myself. I cannot be reserved or hide any longer. I must open myself completely, no matter if I find pain or pleasure. I accept this freedom, and will embrace it fully from now on. The tightness in my chest went away completely, allowing my entire being to be filled with loving energy, joy, happiness, and all sort of other positive energies.

"Well done Sorami. You have completely unblocked every passage in the Air Chakra. You are now able to form Soul Links with others," Sanura congratulated me. I opened my eyes and beamed happily. "I'll now show you how to find these links and begin to establish them, starting with Korra. This part is substantially easier than unblocking the passages, for now you let the energies do the work for you. There are two ways to find the link. The first way is to go into your Spirit Body in the Physical World and just look for a silver type thread connecting you to whatever person you are looking for the link in. The other way is to come here, summon the person's energy, and look for a silver glow. See? Easy." I nodded in agreement and immediately focused on Korra's energy. Part of me already knew what I would find, but the other part needed the proof.

A beautiful blue orb materialized in front of me. I knew this was Korra's energy because I felt a tug on my heart. I studied the ball for a moment, just appreciating the color and feeling that had washed over me. Then I looked for the tell-tale silver. What I found was such a bright glow that I thought there was a small sun behind the orb. After a quick check, though, I realized that it was the Soul Link.

"That is one of the strongest links I have ever seen!" Sanura murmured in awe. "You two are clearly meant to be. No more hiding from now on Sorami." I nodded in silent agreement.

"I'm going to find her. Once I do and everything is settled, you will show me how to link both her and my children to me, ok?"

"Of course my Sora. Now go. Go find your lover."

My vision became hazy before whiting out and fading to black, signaling my return to the Physical World.

**There are only two chapters after this one. Wow does time fly by! After I'm done with this segment, I think I'm going to take a break for a while. Catch my breath a little, you know? When school starts up again (college here I come!) I'll start writing again. In theory, I should have the third installment done by then, and maybe even a fourth. I think I'm going to have to start coming up with fun facts soon! Anywhoo, I thank all of my readers and those of you who have favorited/followed/reviewed my two stories so far. There will definitely be more to come, you can count on that! Until next chapter, I bid you all a fond farewell :)**


	21. Chapter 21

My eyes fluttered open, taking in my new surroundings. I was lying in a patch of soft grass, spots of sunlight sneaking through the leaves above me. My head was propped up comfortably against a pair of legs. I tilted my head back a bit to see whom I was lying on, finding a concerned Tahno looking down at me.

"Hey," I greeted him softly, stretching luxuriously.

"Hey yourself," he responded, allowing a small smile.

"Thanks for taking care of me while I napped. I feel a lot better now," I thanked him sitting up.

"No problem. You worried me though. I thought you'd be asleep for days like last time. I think it's only been an hour or two though," he informed me. Lost another hour. I guess it's better than days.

"My body didn't need that much time to recover this time. And it's a good thing too. Have you found Zuko and Iroh yet?"

Tahno shook his head. "I was a little busy watching over you."

"That's fine. Hopefully they didn't go too much farther." Once again I accessed my Spiritbending, finding that they were actually fairly close, to the point where I wouldn't need to keep track of their energy trails to find them. "Follow me," I instructed as I began in their direction.

"Hey! What are two royals doing out here in the wilderness and not back in the palace?" I called teasingly once I spotted them.

They whipped around, automatically going into defensive stances before recognizing my voice. When they did, though, any formal attitude went out the window. Even before they had gotten to me there were tears in their eyes. Zuko abandoned any morals and gave me a tender kiss.

"Don't _ever_ do that again," he whispered against my lips.

"I can't make any promises. I am an Avatar after all," I reminded him. "I _can_ promise you that I won't go down such a dangerous path again though."

"I'll take that," he accepted.

Iroh was just silently hugging me throughout that little conversation, not bothering with words at this point. Now there was just one person left missing from my family, and she was the one I wanted to see the most. I had a feeling that, in order to find her, I would have to be alone. Let's see how the others would take that.

Everyone was waiting silently at the police station when the four of us walked in. Pema and Asami gave me relieved smiles, though they didn't move due to the three sleeping infants in their arms.

"Korra is the last one left to find," I began, not wanting to waste time. "None of you know where she went, and my animal Spirit guide can't find her either. However, I have managed to find a way that will aid me in locating her, but for me to travel more quickly, I will need to go alone."

"Why can't Tenzin go along? He's an Airbender and can fly," Mako instantly pointed out.

"Because I won't be traveling in the Physical World," I responded gently. "I can travel much faster when in my Spirit form. I can also see energies better than just using Spiritbending alone. I promise I will be careful and will return as soon as possible. I will have my animal Spirit guide Sanura visit with updates if I will not be back before nightfall."

"Where do you think Korra is?" Jinora asked softly.

"I honestly don't know. She's definitely not anywhere near the city, that's for sure. I _will_ find her, though, I can assure you that," I told her.

"Be safe Sorami," Tenzin said, standing and putting a fatherly hand on my shoulder.

I smiled up at him. "I will."

And with that, I told them all goodbye, took out my glider, and began my search.

I made sure I was out of the city limits before transforming into my Spirit form, for I didn't want to draw attention to myself since I looked quite different than any human. My body became pure energy, turning into a glowing blue silhouette. My hair became golden fire. My eyes were their usual white. My glider became unnecessary, for I could fly in my Spirit form unaided. I was definitely not something you would find naturally in this World. The changes others couldn't see were mainly my sight and my bending. When in this form, I could only bend the Spirit elements, which was of no hindrance to me. My sight shifted from Physical to Spiritual, so now I saw everything in energy. To describe it the best, I would say everything looked like very colorful icicles, stars, and ribbons, yet I still knew exactly what everything was. I could also see things that weren't there, like energy trails, spirits (both dark and light), and places where energy was abundant or lacking. Right now I was looking for a place where energy is abundant enough to cancel out other energy trails, and as far as I knew, there wasn't any remotely nearby, so I would have to expand my search as well as rely on my Soul Link to guide my in the right direction. Hopefully when I find Korra she isn't as bad as I fear she may be.

This couldn't be right. There was no way that she could have gotten so far in so little time. Especially if she was just riding Naga. My Soul Link was telling me that she was in the Western Air Temple, but that's just not possible! It would take weeks to reach on a flying bison. There were oceans to cross, forests to navigate, mountains to climb. Riding Naga there shouldn't even be possible! Yet there was that tug telling me to go there, so I guess I was going to visit one of my old homes.

The temple was beautiful, like always. Peaceful. A few scattered flowers were blooming, giving the earthy structures some color. I landed in the center of the courtyard, taking a brief moment to appreciate the tranquil setting before beginning to look for Korra, and who was better at that than the giant blob of white fur that she's always near?

Putting my hand to my mouth, I let out a shrill whistle that bounced off the walls. Not a few seconds later, a howl sounded in response. I followed the sound, finding myself by the tunnel Aang had created all those years ago to escape Azula's attack.

"Naga?" I called into the hole, a bit skeptical. A woof echoed back. Why would Korra go into there? Only one way to find out.

A large tongue nearly knocked me over, making me laugh as I wiped off my face.

"Hi Naga," I greeted the polar bear-dog. She nuzzled me with her nose, seeming happy to see me. "Is Korra in here with you?" She stood, spun in a quick circle, then bounded further down the tunnel. I followed, flying instead of running to keep up with her.

She led me to the very end where the earth met the sky before sitting down and whining softly. A few feet from the exit sat what appeared to be a meditating figure, though I knew better. It was Korra. Slowly I made my way over to her, not sure of the mental state that I would find her in.

"Korra."

She didn't respond. I reached out and touched her shoulder. Still nothing.

"Korra," I repeated, louder this time, as I grabbed her arm.

She continued to stare blankly ahead. I moved in front of her, finally realizing why she hadn't been responding. This was just her physical body. Her Spirit was elsewhere. Well. _That_ explained a lot, but why couldn't Sanura find her then? She should have been able to if Korra was in the Spirit World unless…

"Wait here Naga. I'll be back," I said to the loyal animal before entering the Spirit World to continue my search.

**Just one chapter left until this installment is done. Then summer break! Woo! When I come back I'll try to have at least a few random factoids at the end of each chapter. I'm not sure how that's going to turn out, but hey. Whatever. We'll see. Welp, until next time, I bid you all a fond farewell :)**


	22. Chapter 22

"Back so soon?" Sanura asked, concern in her voice.

"Korra's here somewhere. That's why you couldn't find her," I explained, knowing what she was going to say next.

"But I should have been able to find her if she was here."

"Ah, but what if she was in the Foggy Swamp?"

Sanura ruffled her feathers. "Excellent point. Mind if I accompany you?"

"Not at all! You know I enjoy your company," I said with a smile.

"And are you going to remain in your Spirit Form?" she inquired with a little meow-hoot. To be honest, I completely forgot that I was still in my Spirit Form.

"Eh, why not? You never know what you'll meet in that forest," I responded, having a good point. Some of the meanest dark spirits hid there, and I would rather have full access of my Spiritbending in a fight with one than taking the chance of not.

"Very true. Last I checked, that's where Koh enjoys slithering around. Not to mention his friend Jitatma."

I shuddered, remembering both the creepy centipede his demonic counterpart. "Let's hope we don't run into them," I said before beginning to fly in the direction of the Foggy Swamp.

"Or worse: find Korra in their clutches," Sanura added. My stomach flipped at the thought. That would be worse than witnessing her death.

The Swamp wasn't nearly as pleasant to be in as other parts of the Spirit World, yet this is where Korra had to be, so I had to suck it up and deal with my discomfort.

"I've always disliked this part of the Spirit World," Sanura said softly as we flew through the trees.

"I agree. Let's just find Korra and get out of here before we attract attention," I responded, yet again following that pull from my Soul Link. She was near. "I need to get closer to the ground," I told Sanura, the tug suddenly strengthening. She followed as I made my sharp descend, our bodies disrupting the layer of fog that always seemed to coat this place.

Almost instantly we ran into a small group of weak dark spirits. Luckily it only took a small display of my bending to scare them off. "And I thought this would be easy," I muttered resuming my original path.

"Think of it as some practice. A warm up for your lessons, if you will," Sanura suggested. That was actually a good idea. The next dark spirit that engaged us ended up being my first exercise.

"All right. How about starting with defensive techniques," I muttered under my breath, focusing on dodging attacks and finding my opponent's weak spots. Once I had the dark spirit's patterns and weaknesses figured out, I defeated it immediately. "You know, if we weren't looking for Korra, that might have been a bit enjoyable," I mused aloud.

"Maybe I'll bring you here for training then," Sanura added, though her voice indicated she didn't particularly like that idea.

"Nah. I'd rather fight dark spirits when they're somewhere they shouldn't be. Fighting them here makes me feel a little bad since they're technically in their home. If they didn't challenge me first, I wouldn't even bother with them," I responded thoughtfully, now thinking about why the dark spirits would even bother attacking me here when all I was doing was floating around looking for someone. I know why I attack them back in the Physical World—they're hurting others. I'm not really doing anything unless they attack first. I wonder what goes through their minds as they challenge me? My train of thought was interrupted by the very thing I was thinking about. "Here we go again. How about some bending techniques this time?" I said to myself as I engaged the dark spirit. This wouldn't take long.

Sanura and I continued on like this for a while, me stopping to fight whatever dark spirit came our way before moving on. Eventually we got to the center of the Swamp where the veil was the thinnest and the spirit energy was the highest.

"She should be here," I said looking around; but she wasn't. "Where is she?"

Sanura thought for a moment, then flapped her wings. "Have you tried looking up?"

I almost fell over. Why didn't I think of that? Immediately I began to fly through the branches, inspecting each one carefully for any sign of Korra. Branch after branch, and she still didn't appear. I was nearing the top and quickly losing hope. That's when I saw it out of the corner of my eye: the smallest of movements among the shadows. I floated closer, my heart leaping to my throat with hope and apprehension. The shadow moved again, this time to turn towards me, revealing those blue eyes I loved so dearly.

"Korra!" I cried, not hesitating to practically tackle her.

"Sorami? Is that really you?" she asked, sounding a bit numb. "You look so different." Oh right. I forgot again.

"This is my Spirit Form. It grants me complete access to my Spiritbending, but it disables my physical bending abilities," I explained, not loosening my hug at all as I spoke.

"Does this mean you really are dead then?"

That's when I pulled back, though only to look her in the eye as I said, "Not at all. I am very much alive, and I've never been happier to be than right now."

She finally reacted and pulled me back against her, trembling slightly as she buried her face against my shoulder. "You scared me," she whispered. "I didn't know what to think when you left. All I knew was I had to go somewhere that I knew you'd connected to in order to find you."

"How did you even get here?" I asked, truly curious on how she had pulled it off.

"I bribed a few captains on some ships. I took an airship almost all the way here actually," she responded offhandedly. "Naga did the rest. Speaking of, is she all right?"

I nodded. "Just worried about her best friend, that's all."

Korra relaxed a little. "Then let's go back."

"I second that. Thank you Sanura for keeping me company," I said looking at my old friend.

"Any time," she said with a meow-hoot. "Now go. Your friends are getting worried."

I twined my fingers with Korra's. "Let's go home."

**That's it. That's the end of this installment. The next one is already in progress and should be done by the time school rolls around again. I'll try to think of random facts to add at the end of each chapter, or maybe I'll give background stories to some characters. We'll see. Until then, have a good summer! I will be back in a few months! :)**


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